Hector Marino

Hector Marino's oils are eminently physical works. Thick impasto and deep, tangible color literally extend outside of the usual two-dimensionality of painting. Brush and knife are called into service both to slather the canvas with paint and to peel it back, often swath by swath. This results in backgrounds so fully realized that their visual interest is often equal to that of the main subject itself. He can expertly capture broad expanses of water and sky with almost impossibly rich smoothness offset by careful textural variations that mimic the never-uniform dynamics of the physical world. Marino also clearly knows how to call upon the "less is more" philosophy when needed, as often he breaks up fields of color by the smallest patches of dramatically complemental hues.