RESUME
Sol Aquino
PO BOX 1556
Santa Cruz, CA 95061
(831)227-9125
EDUCATION:
1971-76 California College of Arts and Crafts
1975 San Francisco Art Institute
1987 Bellas Artes, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
My Art work:
The area of my highest level of accomplishment, is my Art. I've been showing professionally, regionally, nationally and internationally, for over twenty + years. My work has appeared in several art magazines, a variety of other publications, and a 40-foot public transportation bus in Florence, and an 80-foot tram in Milan.
EMPLOYMENT:
2002/2008 Owned and ran a nursery called Blue Bamboo Nursery with my wife.
2000/2002 Haptek Inc. Santa Cruz, Ca
Interface Designer, 2D Artist, Client Support and Trade Show Rep.
1994-1999 Mersey (Mdesign).
Designer, Marketing Field Reports and Liaison between the in-house designers working in the factories owened by Mersey in Hong Kong, and the licensee, Callanen International, located in Connecticut.
1979-to present: Self Employed. Artist, Freelance Designer
1980/1983 Work in movies : New World Pictures, props and sets. Movies worked on: ÒGalaxy of TerrorÓ, ÒAndroidÓ, ÒBehold Hawaii an Island and its PeopleÓ
ACCOMPLISHMENTS/WORK PROJECTS ¥ 1995 through 2006
2005
Commission Painting for a restaurant in Sadona Arizona
2003
Commission Painting for SCNAS (The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science) depicting the 30 years of their excitant
2000/2002
I was the 2D artist and Designer, for Haptek
Inc.(www.haptek.com) based in Santa Cruz, Calif. in that time I was
the interface designer and did the majority of the 2D Art for HaptekÕs software product ÒPEOPLE PUTTYÓ. I was the lead rep at most trade shows attended by Haptek, my last job at Haptek I was the Client Support Manager.
1995/1999
I have been producing concepts, designs and providing marketing
and creative team focus for Mersey International, a manufacturer
based in Hong Kong. For three years I was based out of the Santa
Barbara, M-Design office, while also working out of my home office
in Santa Cruz. For the most part, we functioned as the liaison between the in-house designers working in the factories used by Mersey in Hong Kong, and the licensee, Callanen International, located in Connecticut. Mersey makes timepieces (watches) for Guess, Reebok, Timberland, Liz Claiborne, Animal, and Nautica. While I am no longer withMersey, in Feb. I was called in to act as an Independent Creative Consultant/ Facilitator for meetings in New York and Connecticut with designers from Hong Kong (Mersey) and the marketing team from Connecticut (Callenen)
I have been freelancing in several areas, while continuing to produce
my own Artwork. A project which is near completion has been Art
Director, Layout and general "computer guy" on the creation of a
humorous map to be marketed as a poster, postcards, t-shirts etc...to the tourist market in England. The project has been a collaboration between my Wife, Mother in-Law, and an Artist in the U.K. for "Birdlip production" (yes !)
Specific Projects:
AD CAMPAIGN FOR GUESS WATCHES IN ITALY:
While working with M-Design, I produced in several capacities, and
on many projects. One example is my participation in completing
an ad campaign for the Guess watch line in Italy for Callanen
International, the Guess watch licensee.
The Opportunity: Design the art work and assist with production of
the graphic design and display involving two projects: (1) A 40-foot
bus, public transportation in Florence, and (2) An 80-foot tram in
Milan.
The Action: As Art Director, and the Artist for this project, this was
actually the first time I worked with a computer. I did the drawings,
then scanned the drawings into the computer, where I manipulated
the art in Photoshop. After the art was finished we burned a CD and
sent that to Italy.
The Result: The company representative working in Italy took our
CD to 3M , there they enlarged the images, creating huge stencils of
my artwork. These were applied to the bus and the tram, where the
ads appeared for one year.
THE GUESS MOUSEPAD:
Art Director and Artist for Guess watches' Gift with Purchase promotion.
The Opportunity: Create a mousepad design to be offered in a
"Gift with Purchase" promotion.
The Action: I interpreted, designed, and completed the artwork for
this project. What was great about working for this company was
they always allowed me to be free with my designs and the art. The
company recognized the value of my style of art applied to selling
their products.
The Result: Twenty thousand mouse pads were made and given as gifts with the purchase of a Guess watch.
REEBOK AND LIZ CLAIBORNE WATCH SALES-TRAINING CDs
The Opportunity: Callanen needed a CD rom for their sales staff to take into the retail environment to show the clients' sale teams the
new watch lines for Liz Claiborne and Reebok.
The Action: As Creative Director and Project Coordinator for this
project, I defined the production schedule and hired all staff
required to produce the CD. I worked with the client, a graphic artist,
photographer, and a computer programmer. We worked for 120
hours to get the jobs done.
The Result: Our efforts produced one CD each for Reebok and Liz
Claiborne lines. The sales reps took them out into the field to train
for the 'pre-sale' of these watch lines.
FIELD REPORTS /DESIGN CONCEPTS:
Every quarter I went into the retail marketplace (malls, sporting goods stores, department and specialty stores, and others) to produce reports which included information on other brands (the'competition'), merchandising, displays, counter and case definition and use. These reports would also include a broad collection of information from salesstaff and consumers. This work, examining the market in such a detailed manner, allowed me to define sales increase solutions and to provide innovative watch design concepts.
The Opportunity: To research raw market information, to help in the design, marketing and merchandising of the Guess, Reebok, Liz Claiborne, and Animal timepiece lines.
THE ART:
*SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2001 Robert Berman Gallery,Santa Monica, Ca.
1995 Patrica Correia Gallery, Santa Monica, Ca.
1993 Robert Berman Gallery, Santa Monica, Ca.
1992 Williams/Lamb Gallery, Long Beach, Ca.
1991 Williams/Lamb Gallery, Long Beach, Ca.
1990 Robert Berman Gallery, Santa Monica, Ca.
1989 Williams/Lamb Gallery, Long Beach, Ca.
1988 Wave Restaurant, Santa Monica, Ca.
1988 Williams/Lamb Gallery, Long Beach, Ca.
1988 OverReact Gallery, Long Beach,Ca.
1987 Udinotti Gallery. Scottsdale, Az.
1987 Udinotti Gallery. San Francisco ,Ca.
1987 Robert Berman Gallery, Santa Monica, Ca.
1986 B-1 Gallery, Santa Monica,Ca.
1986 Rose Cafe, Venice, Ca
1986 Area X Gallery, New York, NY
1984 Area X Gallery, New York, NY
1983 Dancing Man Gallery, Santa Cruz, Ca.
1982 Rose Cafe, Venice, Ca.
1981 Rose Cafe, Venice, Ca.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2009 Assemblage + Collage + Construction, The Museum of Art & History, Santa Cruz, Ca
2008 Front Gallery Oakland, Ca
2008 Oakland MuseumÕs Collectors Gallery, Oakland Ca.
1990 Williams/Lamb Gallery, Long Beach, Ca.
1989 Art Source, Santa Cruz, Ca
1989 Santa Cruz Art School, ÒDumb BlondesÓ, Santa Cruz, Ca.
1988 American Pop Culture of the 80Õs, Tokyo, Japan
1988 Udinotti Gallery, San Fransiscio, Ca.
1986 The Doll Show, ArtistÕs Dolls and Figurines,
Hillwood Art Gallery, Long Island University 1986 New Vision of Family Exhibition, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pa.
1986 The Art Museum Annual Ô85, The Art Museum of Santa Cruz, Ca.
1985 Area X Gallery, New York City, NY
1975 CCAC Gallery, Oakland, Ca.
1974 Isabel Pierce West Gallery, CCAC, Oakland, Ca.
BIBLIOGAPHY:
Sept.1995 Orville Clark,Jr. ÒSol Aquino, SIMON SAYSÓ SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, Cover and P.13 ARTSCENE.
Dec. 1992 Shirle Gottlieb, ÒSol Aquino, Ò Artscene Southern California,p.19
Nov. 1992 Alexander Eliot, ÒActs of Aquino,Ó Los Angeles Reader.
Aug. 1991 Hisaka Kojima,ÓSol Aquino,ÓINTERNATIONAL ARTMOTION MAGAZINE
Oct. 1990 Orville Clark,Jr. ÒSol AquinoÓ SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HOME AND GARDEN,p.30
July 1990 Lee Montgomery, ÒAquino Takes a Humorous Look at Life,ÓTHE OUTLOOK,p.D10
April 1989 Dinah Berland,ÓArt Consumers Gobble Up Wit,ÓPRESS TELEGRAM, pH3
May 1989 Duncan Simcoe,ÓPath to Insight is Paved with Quirks,ÓTHE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, p.P41
Jan.1988 Berland, Dinah,ÓRisks, RompsÕ ThatÕs Sol Folks,Ó PRESS TELEGRAM,Jan.31,p.D4
1989 THE BOOK/LOS ANGELES, cover p.43, Summer/Fall
1986 Shirle Gottlieb,ÓSol Aquino,ÓVISIONS MAGAZINE, p.29
Jan 1985 Meyer Jon,ÓSol AquinoÓ ARTS MAGAZINE, p.14
CATALOGS:
WilliamsLamb Gallery, Long Beach, Ca. 1991
American Pop Culture Today, Volume II, by USSO Japan 1986
ArtistÕs DollÕs and Figurines, Hillwood Art Center, New York, 1986
MONOGRAPHS:
Menninger Perspective,vol. 27, 1996,p.18,ÓBusiness TiesÓ 1986
New York ,Feb. 13,1995, Colorplate p.70, ÒCorporate SmileÓ 1985
Science News,vol.15,1995, cover, ÒCommunication BreakdownÓ 1991
Stardate May/June 1990, Colorplate,ÓThereÕs a fine Balance,Ó
The Book, Los Angeles,ÒCross Cultural ColorsÓ, Fall 1989 Vol.1 no.3, cover, p.43. Colorplate,
ÒExcuse me, What Time is it Please ?Ó
Menninger Perspective, no.2, 1989, Colorplate: Backcover,ÓTheyÕre Only WordsÓ 1981
SELECTED COLLECTIONS:
The Art Museum of Santa Cruz County
Warwick and Suzanne Miller, Australia
Keith Brackpool, Santa Monica, Ca.
Segal Corporation, Washington D.C.
Jim Berkus, Beverly Hills, Ca.
Laurie Perlman, Pacific Palisades, Ca.
Jack Rapke, Bel Air, Ca.
Ted Karcheff and Lee Fun, Beverly Hills, Ca.
Joan Agajanian Quinn, Beverly Hills, Ca.
Joey Pantoliano, Santa Monica, Ca.
Mr. & Mrs. Alan Stine, San Francisco, Ca.
Mary Ellen Landes, Oakland Ca.
Parmer/Watson Collection, Long Beach, Ca.
Steve Fargnoli, London England
Bill Zysblat, New York City, NY.
Tom & Sue Paalman, Long Beach, Ca.
Arne Worsoe, Denmark
Patrick Pender, Hong Kong
Bonita John, London England
Mel Kline, New York City, NY.
Peter Lubin, New York City, NY.
Robert Berman, Santa Monica, CA.
A. Paul Prosperi, Palm Beach, Florida
Dr. Larry Milner, Highland Park, ILL.