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Josh

@josh.aguayo.ca
2.6K followers 179 following 801 posts

I'm an artist living in Calgary. (He/Him) Author of 'Cybernetic Mages': A cyberpunk/fantasy adventure novel about depression, drugs and fighting mega-corporations. Available at: tinyurl.com/CyberneticM

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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 20/09/2026
Painted for my grandmother's house. Inspired by Yahuarcocha, a famous lake in Ecuador. Its name translates to "Lake of Blood". Oil on canvas. #art #oilpainting
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 08/08/2026
An otherworldly visitor from the garden.
Oil painting of a snail in false color.
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Reposted by Josh
Ske-Lou-Ton 💀 @louwrites.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Hello my anthology project is happening again and we've just pre-launched a Kickstarter so please please please follow along www.kickstarter.com/projects/naa...
kickstarter.com
Coming soon: Not/Feeling Better Anthology
Our second charity anthology features pieces about life with chronic illnesses and disabilities! Help us go to print!
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 03/11/2025
A landscape I painted as a wedding gift. 40x60cm. Alkyd & Oil on cotton canvas. #art #oilpainting
Mountain landscape painting featuring snow-capped peaks rising above a tranquil lake, with misty atmosphere in blue and gray tones, evergreen forest in the middle ground, and flowering shrubs with yellow blooms in the foreground; two birds fly in the upper right sky.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 31/10/2025
I've been feeling so ugh...
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 26/10/2025
I wanted to try painting with CMYK and I tested out this "Alkyd Butter" I got from Kama Pigments for the texture. It worked great, but I didn't read the 'alkyd' part. 😅 It makes paint dry much faster so it only really makes sense to use it in the base layer or wet on wet. #art #oilpainting
"Winterhome"

40x30, Oil over Alkyd on Cotton Canvas.

Oil painting of a misty mountain landscape with snow-capped jagged peaks, a prominent dark summit emitting smoke under a blue cloudy sky, and a green valley in the foreground.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 24/10/2025
Just in case you thought I'm a serious artist. "Fuerte Hermosura", inspired by Squidward's art. Oil on Oak Wood, A4. #art #oilpainting #spongebob
A minimalist oil painting depicts a simplified blue figure striding confidently against a pale yellow-green background. The figure, rendered in varying shades of turquoise and teal, features an elongated ovoid head, thin limbs, and an expressively upturned posture suggesting purposeful movement from left to right across the canvas. The brushwork is loose and gestural, with visible strokes creating texture throughout the composition. A subtle shadow beneath the figure grounds it spatially. The painting demonstrates economy of form through its reduction of recognizable character features to essential geometric shapes while maintaining dynamic energy through asymmetrical positioning and forward-leaning momentum. The artist's signature appears in white in the lower left corner.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 23/10/2025
An architectural sketch in ink for #inktober #art
Pen and ink architectural sketch showing a three-story residential building viewed from a neighboring rooftop. The foreground features a peaked roof with horizontal siding and vertical wooden fence panels. A street lamp rises between the structures. The background building has a textured, stippled facade suggesting brick or stucco, with multiple windows on each floor and vegetation growing at ground level. A tall, smooth-sided high-rise building appears partially on the right edge. The drawing uses line work and cross-hatching to create depth and texture in an urban residential setting.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 17/10/2025
Big fan of these guys. When I had to drive for work they were my default radio station. Varied programming, interesting local hosts and artists, and diverse topics of discussion from gaming to housing policy. Instead of, you know, they same top 10 US songs on loop you hear on corporate radio...
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 13/10/2025
I made some Rimworld fan art. "Insufficient taming skill" 24x32cm, watercolor and ink on paper. #art #watercolor #rimworld
“Insufficient taming skill”

On this watercolor painting, a thrumbo stands on a plain near a distant treeline while a shuttle descends across the Jugust sky. In the lower right, the severed middle third of a colonist in normal cloth pants lie in a spreading pool of blood. The thrumbo placidly looks upwards.

This image relates to Jay attempting to tame a wild thrumbo outside the colony of Blue Cat Den on the 6th of Jugust, 5503. The beast turned manhunter; Jay was separated from most of his limbs. The style is watery and impressionistic, and the composition forms a triangle between the legs, the thrumbo, and the shuttle. If you squint, the cloud resembles a sleeping muffalo.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 02/10/2025
There are few people I can say have inspired me to be a bit less cynical about social change. Bernie is one of those.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 26/09/2025
"Puchis and her claw", 30x40, oil paint on cotton canvas. I usually do the whiskers by scratching on the panel with a knife. I usually paint on wood... 😮‍💨 #art #pet #cat #oilpainting
Oil painting of a fluffy white calico cat, a Persian with tan and gray patches and a pink collar, lit by cool blue light and staring forward with a stern expression. Her name is Pu his.

She stands on a brown floor against a very dark blue-black background; a rich purple curtain hangs on the right, leaving most of the scene in shadow.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 23/09/2025
Are you guys dressing up for the rapture or nah? Like do you get one of those ethereal white robes on the way up or do I need to pick something for the rest of eternity?
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 23/09/2025
The surface is glossy, and I still haven't figured out how to minimize the reflections for the picture. "Bunnisattva", 40x30cm, oil on cotton canvas. #art #oilpainting
Oil painting of a nocturnal scene. A blue-violet rabbit at lower left gazes toward a small tree near center whose trunk glows warm gold with a horrified grimace, casting a pale halo on the ground. 

The canopy is teal-blue with scattered pink fruits, while the surrounding sky and landscape recede into deep indigo, creating a quiet, magical atmosphere with soft, painterly brushstrokes.
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Reposted by Josh
Skipping Stone Foundation @skippingstone.ca · 22/09/2025
Community Coaching is one of the many free programs we offer. It provides a depathologized, empowerment focused approach that is the middle ground between more informal peer support and formal clinical support. Learn more or book an appointment: www.skippingstone.ca/wellbeing
Service spotlight community coaching
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 19/09/2025
Really interesting paper on *How people use ChatGPT*. Turns out the use-cases that you hear the most buzz about: Images, fiction, 'creative ideation', coding... are some of its least common uses. This is the paper by OpenAI, and Ars Technica has a great breakdown too! www.nber.org/system/files...
Screen capture of a table: A breakdown of use cases pulled from OpenAI's recent paper on 'How people use ChatGPT'. Of note, Fiction writing is 1.6% of cases, image generation is 4.2%.

It is as if the drama around these specific topics were a guerrilla marketing scheme meant to over-hype products so that venture capital investors will put down more money.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 18/09/2025
A study of light with Gengar. A4, Acrylics on Paper. #pokemon #art
Acrylic painting of the Pokémon Gengar emerging from a dark, moonlit night. The purple, spiky ghost grins with sharp red-orange eyes, one arm flinging out a small pink ghostly flame. A pale lilac oval of light pools on the green ground beneath, with misty shadows and a thin crescent moon in the upper-right corner.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 17/09/2025
I paint pokemon when I'm not feeling great. "Umbreon is lost" Acrylic on paper, A4 #pokemon #art
An oil painting depicting the Pokémon Umbreon in a nocturnal setting. The creature is shown in profile, its dark, sleek body rendered with visible, energetic brushstrokes in shades of black and deep blue. Stark contrast is created by the character's signature features: bright yellow rings on its forehead, ears, legs, and tail, and two piercing red eyes. The ground is a lighter, cool-toned surface, and the overall style is expressive and textured, emphasizing mood and form over fine detail.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 16/09/2025
Coffee tastes like a bargain with the devil sometimes.
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Reposted by Josh
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
Remember: There is nothing natural or inevitable about extreme inequality; it’s the result of an economic system that values wealth and power over human dignity and justice. It doesn't have to be this way.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 09/09/2025
Vampire? You mean bat fursona?
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 02/09/2025
Final sketch probably! The last two had the correct fur pattern too. She's a Persian with a calico pattern. #art #sketch #animal
Fluffy persian cat in front of a window and a curtain.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 02/09/2025
Another attempt, miscalculated the size. #art #sketch #cat
Charcoal sketch of a fluffy persian cat, in front of a window.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 01/09/2025
I'm planning a bigger painting, so I'm trying some sketches for the composition. #art #sketch #pet
Charcoal sketch of a front‑facing, fluffy persian cat with a bow tie and long curled whiskers, seated on floorboards; diagonal hatched background and a tall curtain-like shape at right.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 29/08/2025
Somewhat painted from life. This one is called: "I'm normal" 8x8in, oil on canvas on wood. #art #oilpainting
This oil painting depicts a two-story suburban house rendered in a style with visible brushstrokes and simplified forms. The composition features a cream or beige-colored house with a dark gray roof set against a vibrant blue sky. The building includes multiple blue-framed windows arranged vertically on the main facade.

The architectural structure demonstrates a mixed composition, incorporating both the main two-story section and a smaller single-story addition or porch area with its own triangular roof element on the right side. The foreground presents a green ground plane suggesting lawn or landscaping, while the background maintains the consistent blue tonality of the sky.

The color palette remains limited, utilizing primarily blues, earth tones, and greens to create a cohesive domestic scene. 

Did you know some projective tests ask you to draw a house as a means to gain additional information about your personality? 

Contrary to popular belief. These projective tests are actually validated just like regular objective testing: by comparing the results to other batteries of objective tests that measure the same thing. 

After numberless iterations you can confirm or deny of they are measuring the same thing or not, and therefore validate a test!
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 22/08/2025
This is a miniature my mom sent me. I painted it. The original is from the 18th Century, a Mary that is winged and dancing, symbol of the City of Quito: *La Inmaculada de Legarda* I'll tell you about the symbolism in the alt text. #art #miniature #painting
A small polychromatic sculpture of the Virgen de Quito positioned on a work surface surrounded by art supplies. The figure depicts a winged Virgin Mary with large spread wings, wearing blue and red robes, standing atop a crescent moon base. Beneath her feet lies a defeated serpent or demon figure with chains. The Virgin has a serene facial expression and wears a radiating crown or halo. The sculpture shows signs of paint application or restoration work, with visible color variations and textures throughout the piece.

This representation exemplifies the religious syncretism of colonial Ecuador, where indigenous Andean cosmology merged with Spanish Catholic theology. The prominent wings reference both the apocalyptic woman of Revelation 12 and the Andean condor, which serves as a celestial messenger connecting earthly and divine realms. 

The defeated serpent beneath represents the biblical triumph over evil while potentially incorporating indigenous concepts of Pachamama and the Incan underworld. 

The crescent moon base symbolizes Marian purity within Catholic tradition while acknowledging the central role of lunar cycles in pre-Columbian Andean agricultural and religious practices. 

The blue and red garments follow traditional Marian color symbolism while echoing pre-Columbian textile traditions. 

This iconography emerged from the Quito School of colonial art, where indigenous and mestizo craftsmen developed techniques allowing subtle incorporation of native symbolic systems within Catholic imagery, creating devotional art that functioned as a bridge between spiritual traditions.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 21/08/2025
I got bit by a few mosquitoes while taking these pictures. They don't listen, drunk on the arrogance of summer.
A panoramic landscape view showing a multi-layered urban-to-rural transition under a dramatic evening sky. In the foreground, residential houses with varied architectural styles are nestled among dense green trees and foliage. The middle portion features an expansive forest canopy extending across rolling hills. 

On the distant horizon, several high-rise apartment or office buildings emerge from the treeline, creating a stark contrast between natural and urban environments. Above, a spectacular cloud formation dominates the pale blue sky, with cumulus clouds illuminated in soft pink and orange hues, suggesting golden hour lighting. 

The composition emphasizes the relationship between residential, natural, and urban spaces within what appears to be a metropolitan area's suburban fringe.An elevated cityscape photograph showcasing a major metropolitan downtown skyline viewed from a suburban vantage point during golden hour. 

The background features a dense cluster of high-rise buildings and skyscrapers of varying heights, architectural styles, and materials, creating a substantial urban core silhouetted against a pale evening sky with scattered wispy clouds. 

The middle ground reveals an extensive residential area characterized by mature tree canopy that nearly obscures the underlying neighborhood structures, punctuated by a prominent concrete retaining wall or sound barrier running horizontally across the frame. 

The immediate foreground displays lush green vegetation, including tall grasses and shrubs, suggesting the photograph was taken from a hillside or elevated park area. 

The lighting conditions create a soft, atmospheric quality typical of late afternoon or early evening photography, with the urban skyline appearing in muted tones against the lighter sky.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 08/08/2025
I forgot I bought salmon last time I went shopping and I have nothing else. So I've been eating salmon every other day this week, and I think I finally got the timing down for a great fluffy yet crispy salmon.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 29/07/2025
A study from life. This little cutting lost all its leaves at some point: I put it in dirt too soon and too suddenly. But I managed to nurse it back to health! I thought painting it would be fun and a good apology. 'Cutting', A4, Oil on Oak Wood #art #oilpainting
A realistic oil painting depicts a glass jar of water sitting on a dark surface against a soft, light blue-gray background. Three green leaves that join to form a single stem, a cutting, emerge from the jar, their forms slightly drooping. 

The jar is rendered with transparent and reflective qualities, showing subtle highlights and distortions from the water inside. The leaves display gentle shading and vein details, while the entire composition is calm and minimalistic, with visible brushstrokes and a soft, diffused light.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 25/07/2025
Guide: So in these columns here at the Art Commons building they used a special type of limestone. If you look closely, there are fossils in it! Me: I'm sorry what? Guide: Fossils. Me: What do you— There are Fossils in it! I think it's so weird. It's my first time seeing fossils outside a museum.
There are fossils in the wall.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 24/07/2025
This is a monochrome self-portrait. Red was the last color of the set. I was trying to use them all since this set was water-mixable and I didn't want to mix it with the rest of my regular paints. 'Cyclothymia', 8x10in, oil on canvas on wood #art #oilpainting
An oil painting portrait of a person with short, tousled hair wearing large, dark sunglasses and a dark jacket over a high-collared shirt. 

The entire painting is executed in shades of red, with the background, face, and clothing all blending together through expressive, textured brushstrokes. 

The sunglasses and hair are rendered in deeper, almost blackish reds, while the face is lighter but still predominantly red. The figure’s features are suggested more than precisely defined, giving the painting a bold, stylized, and somewhat abstract quality. 

The brushwork is loose and energetic, especially in the hair and clothing, while the background is a flat, solid red.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 23/07/2025
"Overwhelming" 8x8in, Oil on canvas on wood #art #oilpainting
A rectangular oil painting features a vivid, textured red background that fills the entire canvas. At the center, a roughly human figure emerges, rendered in smeared whites, grays, and blacks, with distinct horizontal brush strokes and areas of scraped paint. 

The figure appears to be raising one arm above its head and extending the other outward. The figure’s edges are blurred and indistinct, blending into the red background, creating a ghostly, almost ethereal effect. 

The painting’s surface shows visible brush marks and variations in the thickness of the paint, emphasizing the tactile quality of the medium.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 18/07/2025
A quick study of one of my homemade candles. I wasn't super sure about these little prepared panels when I got them, but they feel great to paint on and don't soak in the oil! They were on sale too, so it was a great deal all things considered. 'Beeswax', 8x8, oil on canvas on wood. #art
An oil painting depicts a single candle in a glass holder, its flame softly glowing at the center of the composition. Loose, expressive brushstrokes in muted yellows, greens, and ochres suggest the flickering light and the gentle illumination of its surroundings. The background is dark, rendered in layered strokes of deep grey and black, contrasting with the candle’s pale, creamy tones. Hints of yellow and pink near the flame evoke the warmth and movement of candlelight.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 15/07/2025
This is a study from life (the tree) using a limited palette of only Lemon Yellow, Vermillion Hue, Ivory Black (Instead of Blue) and White. 'The page of swords' 20x20cm (8² in). Oil on canvas, on wood. I really like that tree. I call it Jerry. I've see it change colors over the seasons. #art
This oil painting depicts a solitary tree with thick, textured yellow-green foliage standing on the edge of a rocky cliff. The brushstrokes are expressive and impasto, particularly in the leaves, giving a sense of movement and depth. The background is rendered in soft, muted earth tones with a hazy, pastel sky that transitions from light pink near the horizon to grayish-green above. The cliff descends steeply toward a pale, setting Sun.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 12/07/2025
It was tricky to get you a clear picture of this one because of the glare. But I have a larger painting in mind and it includes snakes! So I wanted to paint one, particularly because I'm not sure how to paint the scales yet. "Crossroads". A4, Oil on Oak Wood Panel #oilpainting #fantasy #art
Oil painting depicting a dramatic, dark cavern scene. On the left, a massive, serpentine snake with mottled green-grey scales and a striking green eye looms, its head lowered menacingly toward the foreground. Its tongue flicks out in the direction of a small, hooded human figure on the right, who holds a bright torch that casts a warm, golden glow against the snake’s face and the surrounding shadows. The background is murky and indistinct, evoking a sense of depth and foreboding within the cave. A smaller snake can be seen moving towards a glowing pool of water in the background. The brushwork is expressive, with visible texture adding to the atmosphere of tension and mystery.
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Scott 𐚁 Cataloochee Hogtoe 𐚁 Cave @hellabarnes.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
no, I said I wanted a tradewife. like a union electrician
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 11/07/2025
I want to keep painting today but I'm tired of hearing the criticism in my head.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 10/07/2025
I took some Summer pictures for you, even if I'm not a big fan of it. #photography
A dirt path curves gently to the right through a wooded area. Dense deciduous trees with bright green foliage line both sides of the trail, creating a natural canopy overhead. Tall grass grows along the path edges. The sky is clear blue with minimal clouds visible through gaps in the tree cover. Dappled sunlight creates shadows across the unpaved trail surface.A residential street intersection featuring a geometric concrete sign reading "PEAK" mounted in an orange metal frame. The sign stands on a grass median strip between the sidewalk and asphalt road. Behind the sign, residential homes are visible, including a dark-colored two-story house on the left. Mature evergreen and deciduous trees frame the neighborhood scene. The sky displays dramatic cloud formations with a large circular opening revealing blue sky. Power lines cross horizontally through the upper portion of the image.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 03/07/2025
I've been making a few sketches for a new painting, this is the latest one.
Charcoal sketch of a gigant snake inside a cave, illuminated the torch of an explorer that we see only as a dark silhouette.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 30/06/2025
"Nomad", Oil on Oak Wood, A4 #oilpainting #art
This oil painting depicts a dramatic mountainous landscape rendered in a cool blue and white palette with subtle warm accents. The composition centers on a prominent snow-covered mountain peak that dominates the left portion of the canvas, its craggy surfaces defined through bold brushstrokes that capture both the mass and texture of the rocky terrain beneath the snow. 

The background transitions from the cooler blue tones of the mountain into a luminous sky that shifts toward warmer hues near the horizon. This atmospheric perspective creates depth and suggests either dawn or dusk lighting conditions, with golden and peachy tones emerging in the middle distance where sky meets the implied landscape below. The brushwork in the sky area appears more fluid and gestural, contrasting with the more structural treatment of the mountain forms.

A small dark element, a backlit dragon, appears in the upper right portion of the composition, adding a sense of scale and movement to the otherwise static landscape. The overall technique demonstrates confident handling of oil paint, with visible brushstrokes that contribute to the painting's expressive quality while maintaining the representational clarity of the alpine subject matter. The color harmony between the cool blues and warm atmospheric tones creates a compelling sense of natural lighting and environmental mood typical of high-altitude mountain scenery.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 30/06/2025
"Silence", Oil on Oak Wood, A4. #oilpainting #art
This oil painting depicts a dramatic mountainous landscape rendered predominantly in various shades of blue, creating a monochromatic composition that evokes either twilight or moonlit conditions. The artist has employed bold, visible brushstrokes throughout the work, giving the piece a textured, expressive quality characteristic of post-impressionist or expressionist techniques.

The composition features multiple mountain peaks of varying heights arranged across the canvas, with the most prominent peak positioned toward the right side of the image. These mountains display steep, angular faces that catch and reflect light, creating areas of lighter blue and white highlighting against the deeper blue shadows. The brushwork follows the natural contours and geological formations of the mountainous terrain, with directional strokes that emphasize the vertical thrust of the peaks and the flowing lines of the ridges.

Above the mountain range, the night sky is painted in deep ultramarine blue with visible texture from the paint application. A distinctive element appears in the upper left portion of the sky—a bright streak or celestial object that could represent a comet: rendered in lighter tones that stand out against the dark firmament.

The overall atmospheric quality of the painting suggests either the blue hour of twilight or a moonlit nocturnal scene, with the monochromatic blue palette unifying the entire composition while creating depth through tonal variations. The artist's signature appears to be visible in the lower left corner of the canvas.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 24/06/2025
I got these new oil sticks and charcoals for sketching, so I spent some time paying around with them today. #art #sketching
The sketch depicts a figure in a dynamic pose with one leg extended forward and arms raised. The character wears form-fitting clothing in of a harlequin and it's head displays a mask covering a mass of blackness. The figure is rendered in charcoal or graphite using cross-hatching techniques.

The drawing is framed by heavy diagonal shading that creates an enclosed space around the central figure. Line work varies from bold strokes for the main form to lighter marks for details and texture. The composition emphasizes movement through the figure's animated posture and gestural drawing style.This charcoal sketch depicts a surreal landscape scene. In the upper portion, tall vertical forms rendered with loose, expressive strokes.

The central focus is a large stylized face with prominent spiral eyes and exaggerated features. Flowing organic shapes surround the figure, they suggest a whispering devil.

The drawing employs various tonal values from light sketches to deep blacks, creating a dynamic composition that combines realistic drawing techniques with fantastical imagery. The work appears to be executed in a sketchbook using charcoal on white paper.A rrrrrat drawing, in charcoal and black oil stick, it looks playfully at the viewer.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 19/06/2025
I love Calgary and its sunny parks, but did no one consider these black metal benches would turn into nut-roasters in the midday sun? 🤣
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 19/06/2025
Can't sleep so I'm turning my Linseed oil into sacred sun-oil blessed by the solstice sun after a Wikipedia rabbit hole on alchemy and sun-thickened oils.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 17/06/2025
I got inspired by Bob Ross to paint some mountains and it was pain. I wiped this panel clean 5 times. FIVE. 😓 "Lost" A4, oil paints on oak wood panel. #oilpainting #fantasy #landscape #art
This oil painting depicts a dramatic canadian winter scene rendered in monochromatic tones of gray, black, and white. The composition features snow-covered mountain peaks that dominate the middle and right portions of the canvas, their jagged forms created with bold, expressive brushstrokes that emphasize the raw power of the mountainous terrain.

The sky occupies the upper portion of the painting and appears heavy with storm clouds, painted with vertical brushwork that suggests falling snow or rain. Two gigant humanoid shadows can be seen in silhouette against a reddish sky.

In the foreground at the bottom of the composition, several tiny dark figures are visible against the snow-covered ground, appearing as mere specks that emphasize the vast scale of the mountain landscape. These travelers, are rendered with just a few dark brushstrokes but effectively communicate the human presence within this imposing natural environment. The snow-covered ground is painted with horizontal brushstrokes in varying shades of gray and white, suggesting the undulating terrain of the mountain base.

The painting's texture is particularly notable, with visible brushstrokes throughout that create a sense of movement and energy. The artist's technique emphasizes the harsh, unforgiving nature of the mountainous environment while maintaining an ethereal quality through the interplay of light and humanoid shadows beyond the snow-covered peaks.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 15/06/2025
I've been more technical than usual with this portrait, so I thought I could show you the process. Each picture is a point where I took a break, with details in the alt text. It's 90% complete. I need to wait for it to dry before I glaze the eyes and shadows. #oilpainting #pet #portrait #art
(1)

Here I'm using heavily diluted Burnt Umber and a purple mix of Ultramarine Blue and Alizarin Crimson to block in the major areas of the painting.

I'm using a lot of pure odorless mineral spirits as medium at this point and my main goal is to cover the canvas in paint using the directional strokes to represent the hair and add volume.

You can also see I'm still deciding on the last details around composition and colors.(2)

By this point I have premixed three slightly different grays: A base gray for the midtones, a lighter-paler version for the highlights and a darker-cooler gray for the shadows.

Here I'm using those three colors (technically I'm using the underpainting Burnt Umber as a 4th tone) to give shape to Grizzly and define what's in light and what's in shadow. 

This part is done when I can step back to the other end of the room and still read the basic shapes just through light and shadow.

For this layer I generously diluted my oil paint with a 50/50 medium of equal parts Odorless Mineral Spirits and Linseed oil.(3)

Now I'm mixing the three premixed grays on my palette to get all the intermediate tones I need to blend in the different planes of her body (which is mainly muscles! It was accidentally a great anatomy study).

Here I also start being more loose and just adding marks instinctively rather than thoughtfully. 

I start "vibes painting" you could say. Lol

Here I also decide that the violet background is a no go and opt to make it pure Ultramarine Blue. This vibrant blue works nicely as a contrast for Grizzly's warm grays, however, pure blue was TOO vibrant. Canvas-mixing some burnt umber brought the background down to a manageable level while adding an interesting aetherial texture.

This layer I'm still using the 50/50 mix medium, but only a little, just enough to make the paint runny.(4)

Here I'm cleaning up a little bit more, adding more details and more vibe painting to make the shapes, specially around her snout, a bit easier to read. 

I also did some cleanup with the anatomy around her lips and added the last few details to her eyes and mouth.

Her eyes are actually a beautiful golden-yellow, but I painted them in bright gray so I could tint them with a layer of transparent glazing instead.

This I will do in a couple of days when the paint is touch-dry, along with glazing the shadows to push them just a little further dark while adding some depth to them.

For this layer I used paint straight out of the tube, without any medium.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 13/06/2025
I'm starting a portrait of my mom's favorite furry daughter and this is the base sketch. Its main purpose is to give me an idea of the proportions and relationships between different elements of her face/snout before I put any oil paint down. Her name is Grizzly. #art #sketch #furry #pet #portrait
This pencil sketch on white canvas depicts an American Bully dog in portrait orientation, showing the head and upper chest area. 

The drawing features visible construction lines and geometric guidelines forming a grid pattern across the canvas, indicating this is a work in progress using structured drawing techniques. 

The dog's face shows characteristic American Bully features including a broad head, pronounced facial muscles, and alert eyes looking directly at the viewer. The dog appears to be wearing a collar. The sketch is rendered in graphite pencil with various levels of shading and cross-hatching to create dimension and form. The canvas appears to be secured at the top with tape or a clip.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 09/06/2025
I really like it when I download a whole CD when looking for a single song, forget about it, and then one day my music player just shuffles into a banger I've never heard before.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 08/06/2025
Another in this series of doomed black paintings. This is a guardian spirit, meant to be a fox, but it might be a corgi that lied on their resume. "Are you sure?", 30x30cm, oil on cotton canvas. #oilpainting #art #kitsune
A blue-green fox spirit sits in the center of the canvas against a dark, nearly black background. The fox is painted with loose, expressive brushstrokes, giving it a ghostly, ethereal quality.

Its most striking features are its bright orange-yellow eyes that avoid the viewer and look back behind it. Behind the fox's head is a pale blue circle that contains a hazy miniature of a distant land. It is a portal.

The fox's body shows hints of warmer tones mixed into the predominantly cool blue-gray fur. 

The painting style is loose and gestural, with visible brushstrokes and some areas where paint appears to drip down the canvas. 

The overall mood is mysterious and nocturnal, with the pale fox figure emerging from the deep, dark 
background.
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Josh @josh.aguayo.ca · 06/06/2025
I've been away for a bit because of work and my mental health, but here's a painting that makes me uncomfortable: "Doom", A4, oil paints on oak wood panel. It is another entry on this series of hazy, dream-like visions.
Oil painting of a hazy vision. Formless silhouettes fill the view. On the foreground, a couple bound by red chains on their neck.

In the background there is a portal inside a distant gate, a hazy silhouette going through.
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