Local artist creating art with spray paint

Raul Montano, a sophomore at Douglas High School, does a unique form of art, “Spray Art.”

Spray art, also known as aerosolgrafia, is a rare form of art that is generally performed on the streets in large metropolitan cities creating surreal landscapes of planets, comets, pyramids, cities, waterfalls and futuristic looking paintings.

Montano, 15, first started painting when he was 14. The Montano family went on vacation to San Francisco, while there he watched a man spray painting for about 20 minutes.

Once he came home to Douglas he asked his parents to purchase spray paint and started creating these amazing works of art, said his mother Marinna Montano.

Within a few days of practice he started selling his art at the farmers market in Douglas, she said.

He has also sold his canvases at swap meets in Tucson, selling each painting for $10. “When we go to Tucson people stand around watching him paint,” said his dad, Raul Montano Sr.

The funds he earned from his paintings helped him fund his trip through DHS to Europe in March.

“What is really amazing is that he raised most of the $3000 on his own, by selling his paintings,” his father said.

Montano starts with a blank piece of poster board and a mental layout. His technique is a series of well-placed layers and textures, predetermined blocking and masking using lids, bowls and recycled objects. “I’m always learning new tricks to make my stuff better,” Raul Jr. said.

He also uses ambient effects by using a painter’s spatula, a window scraper and a straight edge. His best tool is his finger adding what looks like falling star to his images.

Spray art has become second nature to Montano. While wearing a respirator, to protect himself from toxic fumes, he is able to create stunning landscapes swirling the paint together and fading from one color to other through series of differing values, of each color, by simply using spray paint.

“I do this for fun, but it would be cool to do this as a career,” said Montano about his spray art.