As an artist Clifford Contreras prefers creating Cityscape and Landscape images.Clifford's works In Oil Paint on gessoed hardboard. He believes that his travels to Hawaii, Brazil, Cancun, Mexico, and other exotic places seem to have left an indelible impression on him. He was overwhelmingly and inspired by the surrealists sunsets, the luscious greenery, brilliant colors, and depth of fields of these places.
Clifford now infuses his new Cityscapes and Landscapes with these intense colors and sense of depth using a variation of the impressionist palette. Clifford has also developed an unyielding passion and strong appreciation for urban settings through his experience of growing up on the south side of Chicago. Because of this grass-roots exposure, he places everyday people in the city scapes, which he feels creates more of an authentic urban effect. Clifford uses Oil Painting as an artistic medium, and Digital Photography for reference materials. His work is greatly influenced by such modern masters as Richard Schmid and Scott Tallmon Powers.
Some of the places Clifford has exhibited his colorful and masterful artistic expressions include Chicago City Hall and the Richard Daley Center. He has also exhibited at the DuSable Museums Art Festival. Other exhibiting places include the Hyde Park Community Art Festaval and the Lincoln Park and Evanston, Illinois Art Festivals,