Juan Arango Palacios

If you haven't seen Juan Arango Palacios in his speedo today, don't worry, you will. Juan is unabashedly himself. He lets it all hang out. He is extremely proud of who he is. Juan stuck to a strict schedule while at Flower Residency. He woke up early every morning and spent a couple hours at the gym before returning to the studio to cook himself a hearty breakfast. Then, it was time to paint having already accomplished more than most artists do in a day. Juan didn't just work hard. He played hard too. Juan made more friends at the residency than any resident so far. If you're reading this, it is likely you met Juan independent of the residency.

Juan's stated goal was "I want to come to Flower Residency and make a bunch of badass paintings." At the end of the residency, he reflected on his work "that's exactly what I did." Juan's new work has depth. The amount of layers involved in these pieces makes all of his characters' details as deep as the muscles he's developed in himself. His new work doesn't just have physical depth. The meaning behind each piece is incredibly thoughtful with a deep narrative.

His gifted self portrait isn't a random image. It illustrates Juan's deep love for running and his research into running through "Born To Run" by Christopher McDougall. You can see all of Juan's real tattoos and his home in the background view of Lake Michigan.

Juan uses oil not acrylic. He paints many paintings at once instead of one at a time. Having many paintings in progress with only a couple complete and time running out for your stay at the residency isn't for the weak hearted. Juan carried this weight with confidence and ease. Juan's paintings from the residency are badass because a badass painted them.

— David Maxwell, Flower Residency Host