Having spent his boyhood in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the land of his Spanish ancestors, he had a maternal grandmother who was the famous potter, Maria Martinez. His early art teacher was Frank McCulloch, and from visiting museums, Chavez was inspired by New Mexico painters, Ernest Blumenschein and Peter Hurd.

In 1980, Chavez moved to Denver and attended the Colorado Institute of Art and supported himself with commercial illustration. Finally he was successful enough to make a living from his plein-aire, pastel landscape painting.

Lorenzo Chavez won the Dianne B. Bernhard Silver Medal Award for Excellence at the Third Annual Pastel 100 Competition.

Source:
Southwest Art
Pastel Journal

Lorenzo Chavez was born in New Mexico, where the striking landscapes, varied cultures and colorful history helped him develop an appreciation for art at an early age. He studied at the Colorado Institute of Art and the Art Students League of Denver. Intensive private study of the Impressionists and 19th century American and Russian Impressionist- Realist painters especially the Taos Society Artists have made him aware of the wonderful possibilities and importance of painting from life.

Lorenzo exhibits in national invitational exhibitions across the country, including the Pastel Society of America, Artists of America, The Northwest Rendezvous Group, C.M. Russell Museum, Laguna Art Museum, Gilcrease Museum, Landscapes of the American West, Plein Air Painters of America, Loveland Art Museum, Pasadena Art Museum, Butler Art Museum, Denver Art Museum, Albuquerque Museum, Bradford Brinton Memorial Museum and Artists of the West- Colorado Springs Fine Art Museum.

Lorenzo was invited to exhibit with six other American pastel painters at the 2013 fall Exhibition of the Pastel Society of Spain and is a quest artist in the Summer Exhibition of the Plein Air Painters of America at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin and the Maynard Dixon Country Exhibition August 2013. Lorenzo exhibited seven Pastels at the Summer Exhibition for the Society of Pastelists in France and exhibited three pastels in Spain in 2011 for the Pastel Society of Spain.

Lorenzo's work is featured in many prominent magazines, including Art of the West, Southwest Art, Cover art for Pastel Journal, Art-Talk, and American Artist. He was cover artist for The Artist's Magazine.

Lorenzo's paintings are included in the art books, Pure Color; The Best of Pastel and Art Journey America, both published by North light Books and The Plein Air Year published by Jack Richeson Books, Colorado Landscapes and Les Maitres du Pastel France 2012.

Lorenzo is an active member of the Western Rendezvous of Art, California Art club, American Impressionist Society, Pastel Society of Spain and the International Association of Pastel Societies. Lorenzo is a passionate workshop instructor of plein-air painting and has been a judge for numerous pastel exhibitions across the country.