Painter Albert Contreras of Santa Monica had a thriving art career until he abruptly quit -- for 25 years. He’s returned to art and, at 76, is busy making up for lost time. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
A framed wooden board and a solid color are starting points for Albert Contreras. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Contreras pours thick paint onto the wooden board. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
The paint he uses is a mixture of recycled paints from other works. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Contreras spreads out the coat of paint. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
After pouring two layers of paint, Albert Contreras drags a scraper across it. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
He uses the scraper to make the first slash in the X pattern. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
“I take chances every time I paint,” Albert Contreras says. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Contreras continues to manipulate the thick paint. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Contreras has turned his small Santa Monica apartment into a one-man factory. Cupboards and closets serve as storage spaces, he mixes pigments and experiments with the properties of paint in his kitchen and a pair of easels occupies the main room. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
“I picked up exactly where I had left off.... The first paintings I made were nearly 30 years late,” Contreras says, then adds, almost screaming, “Now I’m doing fast-forward!” (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
