Excellence is the result of doing what we are passionate about, getting more training in the area, having organization and discipline, all of this is characteristic of people who go far focused on their goals.
And precisely, Marco Campos, is an example of a Costa Rican and of excellence, because with his perseverance he has achieved more than many can imagine. Marco, a while ago won first place at an art competition in the United States.
He won the “Best of Show” award, the most important awarded by the International Guild of Realism, in its annual exhibition that took place in the State of Maryland (USA).
Due to this incredible news and our intention to publicize the Costa Rican talent and foreign people who contribute to the country, we wanted to talk exclusively with Marco, to learn more about his life and purposes through art.
The legacy they leave us and the restlessness of pursuing dreams
Marco Campos, was born in San José, Costa Rica, in 1978 and currently, lives in San Pablo de Heredia. He told us that the teachings of his parents greatly influenced his growth; His father was one of the most honest people that Marcó has known, and with him he learned to work honestly and fight hard to achieve each objective and goal.
From a very young age, together with his mother, he enjoyed everything related to the fine arts and culture in general, because she is a plastic artist and was a painting teacher for many years.
“In my childhood, I was the typical child who was always drawing. Although I liked superheroes, dinosaurs, monsters and all those kinds of things that almost all children like, I had an absolute admiration for another kind of heroes: I dreamed of becoming a great artist like Caravaggio, Michaelangelo, Mozart or Liszt,” he said.
Despite the love of art and what he noticed about his mother’s dedication, he constantly heard: “if you become an artist, you will starve”, so he decided to study advertising design and worked for approximately 20 years in advertising agencies and other companies developing designs, television commercials and animations in 2D and 3D.
Still, over time, Marco longed to be an artist by profession, so he also studied academic drawing at the Atelier del Sol and took some drawing and painting courses at the University of Costa Rica (UCR). “I then took oil painting workshops with several national and international artists, including Casey Baugh, Hollis Dunlap and Robert Liberace.”
Less than a year into painting, the Canadian charcoal company Nitram Charcoal contacted him to use his art as an image in their advertising, something he has always considered a great achievement. It’s been two years since he made the decision to become a full-time artist.
What do you like to do in your free time, any hobbies?
Currently, the hobbies of the artist Marco Campos are: watching movies, playing video games and poker, as well as play piano and drums. But, he is dedicated to his profession and of course, to moving forward with painting. In every moment that he can, he passionately dedicates himself to learning new things.
What inspires you?
From seeing a great movie, to nature, such as a sunset or a rainy day, they inspire him to make art. “It also inspires me a lot listening to music, and to see the work of good artists, it is extremely inspiring, whether they are great masters of the past, or contemporary artists,” he commented.
Do you think there are still things to do?
For Marcos, there is much that remains to be done, although at this moment he does not consider himself so young, he says that he is just beginning with the world of art. “I have too much to learn, many techniques and concepts to study, and I still have a long way to go. Also, I want to work on many more works and gradually refine my technique with each one of them”.
About the contests and prizes obtained
Lately he has been participating in the exhibitions of the Association of Figurative Painters of Costa Rica (APF) and at the moment, he is part of the show of the International Guild of Realism (IGOR), at the McBride gallery, in Annapolis, Maryland (USA).
Previously, we mentioned about the first place obtained in the United States, since there were two works approved by the Guild of Realism, the outstanding one was “Reminiscentia”, which means “the action of representing or offering to memory the memory of something that happened”, he recounted.
This work is a watercolor on paper, made in 2021 and that has already been awarded in some other international competitions. “It’s about the courage and strength to keep going despite the difficulties that come up in life,” added Campos.
It should be noted that the International Guild of Realism is an international association based in the United States, which has more than 550 members around the world, curators, which means that works are requested from applicants to be reviewed and approved.
Marco has received other recognitions, being a finalist at the 15th International ARC Salon, ‘Outstanding Watercolor’ at the Boldbrush Art Contest & Exhibit and ‘Best Watercolor & Gouache’ at the PleinAir Salon Art Competition.
In this way, he assured us that at the present moment, he is working on two large-format works for an upcoming exhibition with the APF. At the same time, he has some commissions ahead of him and, as a goal, to hold an individual exhibition in the not too distant future, perhaps next year.
Finally, Marco Campos, expressed to the people of Costa Rica and the world, “pursue your dreams, because with struggle and perseverance little by little they can be achieved. It does not matter if the dream seems too big or unattainable, if one works with dedication, eventually you can achieve whatever you set your mind to.”
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