Meet Aramis O’Reilly | Artist / Professor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aramis O’Reilly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aramis, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
It feels more like my “career” chose me, rather than me choosing it. I clearly remember as a child, when I would look through books of pictures of paintings, I would feel a pull into this mysterious world. I would wonder to myself, “Who were these people who made these things”. Somehow, I felt that I was one of them, but just very young, and that one day I would join them in the work of making dreams. It seems that what may be called a “career” has simply been for me, to walk the path that I felt that I had walked once before.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As artists we grow over time. We find that we pursue ideas, impulses, and visions. We research and study, welcome failures as opportunities and reach out towards things that we do not know. My life as an artist has taken this familiar path and I recommend it to everyone, although I know that it’s not for everyone. To do “it”, you must be doing “it”. It’s an ongoing leaning forward towards a force that is also looking for you. The forces of the day-to-day life seem to have an undercurrent drag that pulls one in the opposite direction. So, at some level it takes effort, discipline, and some ambition to keep it going. For me the reward of that work has been experiencing the bliss of being in “it”.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We would start the morning with breakfast on the west edge of “little Havana” at a favorite restaurant which my wife and I have been going to for over 35 years. From here we leave it open to discoveries and adventures. We usually say, “let’s see where the car takes us”.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My gratitude starts with my parents, who as Cuban immigrants came with loss and pain but also with great vision and hope. Their conviction to improve our lives taught me about the of value hard work and how it opens one’s vision and affirms hope. After 36 wonderful years of marriage, I see my world not through my eyes only but also through the eyes of my wife, Pierina. My greatest gratitude goes to her, because she has brought to us a magical life of dreams.

Other: I have no social media but I am working on a website of my work which I will publish at some time.