Juan Carlos MARTÍNEZ ✿

Juan Carlos Martínez is an award-winning artist living in Toronto, Canada whose work has been featured in various publications and exhibitions around the world. Juan was born and raised in Saskatchewan and before becoming a full-time artist and educator, he earned an undergraduate degree from Campion College at the University of Regina, and then a law degree from the University of Saskatchewan, and eventually, an LL.M. from John Marshall Law School, in Chicago, IL. Eventually, after practicing law for a number of years, he gave up that life to pursue his vocation as a classical painter and although always an avid amateur artist, it wasn’t until 1996 that he began a five-year course of study under master artist, Michael John Angel in Canada as well as in Florence, Italy. This is how he learned of and was trained in the classical tradition. Since 2005, Juan has been a chief instructor at Toronto’s Academy of Realist Art (ARA) which follows a classic or “atelier” model similar to his own training. Juan has received multiple awards so far in his career from numerous groups and competitions, including prestigious organizations such as the The Art Renewal Center, The Portrait Society of America, and the Portrait Society of Canada.