“Mary B” by Julio Suarez.
Courtesy | Julio Suarez

I had the privilege of meeting Julio Suarez, chairman and associate professor of art, my first semester at Hillsdale. I wanted to get involved with the art department in some way but I wasn’t entirely sure of how to do so. I saw an opening for a model position for Suarez’s “Drawing 2” course, a welcome break from the bustling state of campus affairs. Once I got the position, I entered into a fascinating and creative facet of campus, filled with jars of paintbrushes, chalky surfaces and splattered canvasses. At the center of this place is Suarez. It was a privilege to watch his creative process, neither entirely serene nor fiery, but rather the careful and thoughtful work of a true craftsman, a blend of necessity and passion. I sat down with Suarez after his semesterlong sabbatical to gain a better understanding of the mind of an artist on sabbatical, and the adjustment is to being back on campus, at “home” as he would say, with his students once again. 

Did you work on a specific project on sabbatical? 

“These days a lot of my work revolves around painting marine subjects on location. The plan was to travel around the state looking to paint what is left of Michigan’s commercial fishing industry.”

Did you stay here or go somewhere for inspiration?

 “Besides driving to the lakes here in Michigan, I traveled to South Carolina to paint the shrimp fishing fleet just north of Charleston. I also painted the coast of Maine and in the Cape Ann peninsula of Massachusetts.”

Who are your biggest artistic influences?

“That is a difficult list to narrow down. John Paul Leon, Edgar Degas, Wayne Thiebaud, Giorgio Morandi, Bob Dylan, Stanley Kubrick, John Singer Sargent.”

What motivates you to create? 

“I’m not sure. It is my work, and working is good.”

How is navigating your creativity here on campus, working with talented students, compared to being able to focus on your own creation?  

“The fact that I see myself equally as a teacher and a painter makes it easier to manage. I am always doing both, but at different times one takes precedence over the other.”

What did a typical day on sabbatical look like for you? 

“Most days I left my house in Jackson early in the morning and drove to a marina and yacht club on Lake Erie just north of Toledo. I would spend the day there painting the boats and the changing light. I would usually be back home in time for dinner.”

What would you say is your greatest inspiration? 

“I am inspired by wanting to continue learning my craft and getting better at what I do.” 

Is creating art something you would call easy? 

“It is not easy for me, and I can’t think of anyone I know who does it professionally who would say that it is. Why should it be, and why would one want it to be?”

Does an artist need to “get away” to create?

“An artist needs to learn to work in whatever circumstances they find themselves in.” 

How does it feel to be back? 

“I greatly enjoyed the time away, but I am grateful to be back home in the studio with my students.”