"An active printmaker for over ten years Ortiz's current paintings reflect his practice (in printmaking) of layering, obliterating and gradually focusing/refining a final image. Shooting hundreds of isolated compositions on walks around town these images inform, and often-times unravel the images that spring out of his canvases as he adds to and peels away layers of paint. While recent works are decidedly less descriptive,aseries of works from afew yearsago mirrored Monet's water lily compositions but in Ortiz’s studies Giverny was the vegetation surrounding the Lincoln Park's north lagoon with its overhanging trees that cast light and shadow on the mirror-like waters. Born and raised in Diego Rivera's hometown of Guanajuato until age five and grew up in Chicago's Little Village his work has always reflected a penchant for color and contrast."