By Dr. Ricardo Romo
Denise Pintor is a self taught artist whose exquisite paintings range from landscapes, vintage lowrider cars and Airstream vehicles, to portraits of young charros and Escarramuza [women who ride horses in the Charreadas]. She also captures the essence of Texas and surrounding states, traveling widely to find examples of a disappearing rural society which she believes is important to to capture and preserve in art.
Pintor grew up in South Texas in a community rich with Hispanic traditions and culture. In addition to attending rodeo and charro events, she took a great interest in the car hobbies of family members and neighbors who spent time with their lowriders and vintage cars.
In her teen years, she gained a passion for the arts and interior design. In an effort to learn more about the arts, she enrolled in several summer classes at the Bellas Artes de San Luis Potosí in the early 1980s. She enjoyed these classes in Mexico and pursued her love of the arts by enrolling at the University of Texas at San Antonio in the mid 1980s.
Pintor worked in several business fields following her UTSA graduation, but in time she decided to pursue her love for interior design and decorative arts. Much of her career included working with custom builders whose projects required faux finishes and the utilization of plaster. Her work in historical restoration took her to many parts of Texas.
After 25 years of decorative arts and interior design work, she retired and turned her attention to painting, traveling, and community advocacy. She is constantly painting, but makes time to advocate for her community. The rapid gentrification of her Eastside neighborhood, as well as rising racial and economic disparities in San Antonio, have pushed her into political activism. Her artist friends admire her social values as well as her mission to paint and work daily to make a better world.
Denise Pintor can be reached at the Hausmann Millworks.
