By Aaron Mason
Staff Writer

Brookhaven College fine arts student Nicolas Gonzalez recently caught a glimpse of where his talent could potentially take him. Gonzalez’s work was featured in ORIGIN magazine, a self-proclaimed platform for art, culture and conscious living, which is circulated and sold nationwide on newsstands.
Gonzalez said his dad and brother inspired him to go into art at a young age. “When I was a kid, I noticed how my brother and my dad would draw,” he said. “My dad would mostly draw just to entertain me. My brother is the one who really inspired me to begin drawing.”
Gonzalez said his brother would draw portraits of couples at school. This inspired Gonzalez to follow in his brother’s footsteps. From elementary through high school, Gonzalez would draw pictures for people upon request. He said people even purchased his drawings from him.
After high school, Gonzalez studied art in college. He took classes at Eastfield College, which he attended for nearly two semesters. Gonzalez decided to leave the school in 2008 and went into the roofing business while he was enrolled in Westwood College to study computer and architectural design.
After Gonzalez graduated from Westwood College in 2008, the economy took a major hit with the housing market crisis. Due to lack of available work during the economic crisis, Gonzalez was forced to take a desk job. Unsatisfied with his situation, Gonzalez enrolled at Brookhaven in 2009.
Gonzalez took various art courses, one of which was a 2D design class taught by art professor Chong Chu. After Chu began to see the work Gonzalez turned in, he recommended that Gonzalez try taking a painting class. Reluctant at first, Gonzalez finally gave in after Chu’s persistence. During the weeks that followed, the decision to go into painting paid off, and Gonzalez discovered his gift with the brush.
“Chong discovered me,” he said. “Chong got me where I am today. Without him, I would be back in the streets in East Dallas.”
From there, Gonzalez began to climb to new heights with his artwork. He has taken numerous art classes, ranging from 2D design and printmaking to ceramics, along with painting.
Fellow fine arts student Shua Kwom said: “He [Nick] is good because his work is very personal to him. His work has also really developed, moving from the basics to a more organic style.”
Confident in Gonzalez’s future, Chu said, “Nick is energetic, creative, hardworking, not afraid to make mistakes; he challenges himself.”
As a testament to these rave reviews, one of Gonzalez’s pieces was featured in the September/October edition of ORIGIN magazine.
The piece featured is titled, “Mi Padre Sufre Por Una Vida Mejor Para Mi,” which tranlates in English to, “My Dad Suffers For a Better Life for Me.” Gonzalez painted this featured piece of artwork in honor of his father, who emigrated from Mexico to ensure that his children could have a better life.
ORIGIN had Gonzalez describe his work to them. He said: “Each piece deals with a tremendous use of precision and bold use of color, texture and expression. Reflections of my past and daily values in life fuel the energy of my work.”