Paul Soriano flexes artistic muscles, praises AVA support

Published 11:03 am Monday, July 28, 2025

When Paul Soriano stands back to look at his recently completed collection of gladiola paintings together on the wall, he sees sadness.

“Flowers represent youth cut off in its beauty.” In the same breath, Soriano adds that the overall meaning is positive. “I don’t want to believe that’s the only message because the background colors behind the flowers represent hope.” 

Soriano was awarded Astoria Visual Arts “AVA AIR,” a six-month artist in residency that ended last month. The opportunity included the use of a studio space at the Astoria Studio Collective at 1000 Duane St. in Astoria, as well as a future art show culminating his residency experience at the AVA Gallery in January 2026 in the same building. 

The residency helped Soriano — a painter with decades of experience — break through a hiatus in painting. “After five years all this work is popping out of me, I think it’s Astoria,” he said. 

‘Supportive’

For Soriano, Astoria Visual Arts provided the support he needed to begin a new phase of his work. “I can’t say enough about AVA because they’ve been so supportive. It’s one of the best resources I’ve seen in any city. They are really about community and I strongly believe in community through art,” said Soriano. 

The artist-in-residence selection panel recognized the quality of Soriano’s years of previous work and saw his need for a professional studio space. 

Astoria Visual Arts Director Annie Eskelin said “when considering Paul, the committee recognized his artistic talent and the significance of his proposal. As a professional artist who hadn’t returned to his practice since the pandemic, and was relatively new to the area, he was at a pivotal point. The residency offered him an opportunity to re-engage with painting and connect with the local arts community.”  

Unexpected

The new studio gave Soriano space to pick up his brush and produce piece after piece. A collection soon emerged, but not what he expected. While flowers appeared as minor players in his past body of work, they were never the focal point.

Each of the 10 floral oil paintings on wood are an intricate study of a once-living gladiola flower that Soriano hand selected. “I’ve always loved gladiolas,” he said. Soriano’s departure from his previous works included a dramatic change in technique. 

Soriano chose to paint with only under-colors: the base paint that oil painters typically cover over with final layers of color. “In the past, I’d start layering color and rework the darks again, but there’s something about the softness without the traditional color that really speaks,” said Soriano. 

Creation

The softness is conveyed with classic undercolors used by painters throughout the centuries: Burnt Sienna, Indian Red, Ochre and Vandyke Brown.

Soriano created his own variation of the classic undercolor Paynes Gray which he calls “Paul’s Paynes Gray,” a color that runs throughout the whole collection. It took restraint along with validation by a fellow artist who visited his studio when the collection was coming together. “She told me, you know, just stop. These are beautiful. Stop. This was really useful advice for me,” he said. 

During the residency, Soriano opened his studio for every Art Walk to engage with the community and share his new collection. “AVA has been so supportive. I want to give them every opportunity to see what I’m doing and what their generosity has been able to do for me,” he said.  

Eskelin echoes the impact that a dedicated studio space has on the art community. “Paul has produced a compelling and cohesive body of work during his residency” she said. 

Eskelin points to 39 artists overall who have completed the program. “Artists find momentum, deepen their practice, and shape the creative landscape of our community. That’s the power of investing in artists. It creates ripples that extend far beyond the studio walls.”