Biography
Warren Cullar opened his first gallery as a senior in college, receiving a BFA in 1965. His experience in gallery sales was a quote: “ people will not walk down an alley to buy art… .location, location, location.’’
He joined a staff of six artists in a commercial ad agency and as he says: “I learned more in that year than 5 years in college’’. A bigger job was offered to him and he spent a brief career as an advertising director in a large department store. A move out of country to Mexico to study art at the Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato, Mexico was a major influence. The art and color of Mexico is evident throughout the art he has produced during his career. Within a couple of years and an MFA degree under his belt, he received a teaching contract from Hardin Simmons University and later opened the art department at Western Texas College acquiring 8 years as a college art instructor. A decision was made after returning from a study grant to Egypt that he had received from the college to become a full time artist.
In 1976 he moved to the Austin area and opened his 2nd art gallery, 5 years later he moved into the Austin home he has occupied for 25 years.
Warren started his art career by selling his hand pulled stone lithographs and watercolors even getting an 11 page article about his art in the December 1978 issue of Southwest Art Magazine. He admits that in those days he was not interested in awards or galleries and chose to be a producing artist and sold his art in many different formats. During this time he found his way as an adventure artist with scientific expeditions to Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Spain, and Eater Island to name a few of the 36 countries stamped in his passport. In the early 90’s he built an 840 sq. ft. painting studio on the back of his wooded property and took up acrylic painting, then proceeded to produce hand pulled serigraphs and soft ground etchings. A large bronze commission was awarded to him and although he had studied bronze casting in Mexico in the late 60’s, it was years before the trigger was pulled and he found that bronze sculpture was best suited to his nature. He muses that his watercolors are dry in their box in the studio.
The new commitment to the direction of making sculpture, inspired him to build a second studio next to the painting studio……..He laughs and says “ a good day is when I can spend time in both studios.”
Warren and his wife Kitty Biel a CPA live and work from their spacious home, two studios and sculpture garden. In the summer of 2007 they purchased a second home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he shares a studio with sculpture friend Kevin Box. He and Kevin have bought 35 acres south of Santa Fe and are in the process of creating a world class sculpture center, garden and gallery.
“I have been a professional artist for 31 years, making my entire income from the sale of my art, published a book of my sketches in 2004, received awards, and commissions, sold and installed literally hundreds of drawings, watercolors, lithographs, etchings, serigraphs, acrylics and bronze sculptures. Please check out my web page to view this most amazing journey.”
“I have an amazing amount of energy that keeps me creating from early to late. Now the passion is in the production of my stacked stone series that is 3 years old and the sculptures are selling very well, - wow! I take a piece of nature, a rock and change it, then balance it with other forms and cast into bronze.”
I have a glorious life as an artist and live fully and completely with my work and share that love with collectors, friends and family.