‘If I drew horses, all the hoofs were there, drawn correctly, not accurately, but all the parts were there’

Raul Espinoza works like a man possessed. The 42-year-old artist can be found at almost any hour of the day or night sitting at his enormous easel. Carefully poised in his right hand is the tool of his trade--an airbrush. With the pencil-like brush that emits a fine stream of air and paint, Espinoza can create everything from a winged horse soaring through a cluster of clouds to a hamburger. Espinoza is the president and an instructor of the San Diego Airbrush Academy. In addition to teaching monthly classes there, he has a host of clients who enlist him to paint brochures and maps, touch up family photographs, and airbrush billowy clouds on ceilings and walls in their homes. Espinoza’s work will be on display this weekend at his new downtown studio during ARTWALK. Times staff writer Caroline Lemke interviewed Espinoza at the airbrush academy and Don Bartletti photographed him.

I worked for different graphics companies. As I was working for these companies as an in-house designer or painter or sign artist, the thought behind my mind was, “Get out of here. You’re only working for somebody else.” I was thankful for the job and I did my best, but it wasn’t really moving me. It wasn’t the wheels I needed. So, when I started my own school, the response I got was tremendous, and I said, “I’m self-employed now. I have more freedom now.”

There was a very critical point where I almost dropped the whole thing. In the middle of this five-year span that I’ve been teaching at the airbrush academy, I almost fell apart because I wasn’t getting enrollments, I was at a very low ebb in my life. Relationships weren’t happening. I was as alone as you can get. But I believe in prayer and I would say in my mind, “OK, I’m going to drop the school. I’m going to forget it.” What would happen the next month? Calls would come in saying “I want to take your class, I want to take your class!” And it would happen like that from month to month to month.

Prayer doesn’t give you one answer. The Lord sort of tests you along the way. “Do you really want this? What are you made out of? How much fiber do you have?” I was literally against the wall. But I’m flying now. It really feels good. Because I did keep getting enrollments I knew this was the right thing to do, because if it isn’t, it’s going to fall, it’s going to fail.

I was about 6 1/2 years old when I started drawing, and teachers along the way started realizing I could do things. Like, if I drew a train, all the wheels were on the track. If I drew horses, all the hoofs were there, drawn correctly, not accurately, but all the parts were there. So, I had a keen observing eye, and I feel that was given to me.

If teachers along the way hadn’t encouraged me to pursue art, I probably wouldn’t have. It’s frightening in the sense that if the educational system isn’t there and keen enough to see young talent, I guess it could be dangerous because a lot of talent could go to the wayside. That’s why, as a teacher, I also have to be enthusiastic.

I love painting wildlife and nature. I am getting trained for my master’s work and that means incorporating wildlife and aspects of the world we live in and introducing to it a little bit of the spiritual aspect of why we’re here, and how we can relate to each other as human beings who have a certain amount of love and discretion, sensitivity for others as well as compassion.

Some of the frustrations of being an artist are that you are alone a lot. Some people might say that’s a blessing, but when you’re alone a lot . . . I have learned to be my best friend. If I went out to a movie or dancing or something, I wouldn’t get any work done. And in fact when I do go out and I have paintings in my mind, I’m not enjoying it because I’m not partying with friends. My mind is at work.

When I have a show and people see my stuff and get inspired, that’s the joy for me at that point. The crowd isn’t enjoying it as I’m doing it, but they enjoy it afterward, when it’s done.