Lionel Sanchez

Lionel Sanchez was born and raised in Trinidad, Colorado, where he first cultivated a passion for art. As a child, his older brother would draw for him and continually fascinate him with the images he could conjure with a pencil. It was this fascination that led Lionel to his own passion for drawing, painting, and watercolors.

After serving 4 years in the US Navy, Lionel studied art formally at Auraria Community College in Denver, Colorado, before going on to work as a draftman and project manager for over 30 years. His retirement in the early 2000s allowed him to focus on his art full-time. He later moved to the Tampa Bay area in 2010 where he continues to work as a full-time artist and teach watercolor workshops throughout Florida.

Watercolor is his primary medium, but he also works with graphite, acrylic, and pen & ink. His subject matter includes rural and urban landscapes, architecture, boats, and various outdoor scapes. As a part of his artistic process, Lionel will often use abstract forms when sketching the framework of a piece. He prefers to paint en plein air with photography (and his imagination) as a studio reference. His goal with his artwork is to spark interest and elicit an emotional response, creating a dialogue between the artist and viewer.

At the Life Enrichment Center, Lionel teaches beginner-to-advanced painters how to master the art of watercolor painting, building on the elements and principles of design in a paint-along format with landscape and architectural subject matters.

Lionel holds Signature Member status in the Colorado Watercolor Society, Miami Watercolor Society, Florida Watercolor Society, and the Gold Coast Watercolor Society. Also, in 2012 and 2013, he was the president of the Miami Watercolor society. Since moving to Florida, he has been presented several first places and best-in-show awards for his artwork. His work has been shown in the Vail Valley Invitation Northern Colorado Invitational, Pikes Peak Invitational and Glenwood Springs, winning numerous awards along the way including the People’s Choice at the Littleton Depot Art Gallery. His artwork is housed in numerous corporate, business, and private collections in Denver and throughout the Southwest.