Gus Romano 10/2/25 Gus Romano 10/2/25

Letter from Paris, Between Dreams: Building Others While Holding My Own

In Paris, I stood backstage at L’Oréal’s show, invisible yet essential, while running at dawn to museums where Rembrandt, Monet, and Carolus-Duran reminded me of my own dream. I wonder — can my dream as an artist survive while I build the dreams of others?

Gus Romano 9/27/25 Gus Romano 9/27/25

Between Silence and Sound: Searching for Inspiration in Paint, Chess, and Rui Massena’s Music

An intimate reflection on artistic doubt and resilience. Gus Romano shares his struggle to find inspiration, his strange refuge in chess, and the portrait he painted of maestro Rui Massena, inspired by piano melodies and the legacy of Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Gus Romano 9/16/25 Gus Romano 9/16/25

Fado and the Face of Resilience

Instead of discouraging me, each rejection fuels me to look closer, to understand art in a deeper way. What could feel like an ending becomes a beginning—another chance to paint, to learn, and to grow into the artist I want to be.

Gus Romano 9/14/25 Gus Romano 9/14/25

The First Brush Stroke Is Always the Hardest

The hardest part is never the painting—it’s starting. I wait to feel ‘in the zone,’ but the truth is that I only arrive there once I pick up the brush and make the first stroke.

Gus Romano 9/10/25 Gus Romano 9/10/25

Letter from Lisbon: On Routine, Fear, and Small Beginnings

Some days I feel like I am on a small boat, floating without a compass. I know land is near, but I can’t yet see the shore. I want to begin a new painting, but I don’t know which one, or for what purpose. Still, I know that when I paint, I stop thinking — and that is reason enough not to give up.

Gus Romano 9/4/25 Gus Romano 9/4/25

Beyond Impulse, A Letter on Painting and Patience

In Gerês, I forced a painting out of impulse — and hated it. It was soulless, cheap, a poor imitation. That night Van Gogh reminded me: greatness isn’t born in a rush, but in small, deliberate steps of will. This letter is my attempt to learn patience.

Gus Romano 8/29/25 Gus Romano 8/29/25

Balancing Dreams, Family, and the Reality of Being an Artist

Some days I want to give up, but there’s something inside me that refuses. A voice reminding me that this is what I was meant to fight for.

Gus Romano 8/18/25 Gus Romano 8/18/25

What Is a Painting Really Worth?

Behind every oil painting lies more than just color and canvas — it carries years of practice, expensive materials, and a profound question: is art worth the sacrifice when the world values cars and watches over timeless portraits?

Gus Romano 7/31/25 Gus Romano 7/31/25

In the Presence of Greatness: The Artworks That Moved Me to Tears

I didn’t plan to cry. But standing alone in front of Van Gogh’s final self-portrait, I felt seen—as if the layers of his brushstrokes recognized my own struggle. In that quiet moment inside the Musée d’Orsay, art didn’t just speak to me. It held me.

Gus Romano 7/26/25 Gus Romano 7/26/25

The Scream of Victory: My Tribute to Viktor Gyökeres

This is not just a painting of Viktor Gyökeres—it’s a scream captured in oil. A tribute to resilience, sacrifice, and the roar of a player who changed history at Sporting Clube de Portugal.

Gus Romano 7/22/25 Gus Romano 7/22/25

The Unseen Patrons: Why Masterpieces Need More Than Just Talent

A personal reflection on how art history’s greatest masterpieces—from the Sistine Chapel to Monet’s Water Lilies—were only possible thanks to visionary patrons. In today’s world, do we still support artists in creating timeless works?

Gus Romano 7/15/25 Gus Romano 7/15/25

Painting the Weight of a Nation

This portrait of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa marks a turning point in my artistic journey — a painting born not from commission, but from conviction. It reflects on leadership, silence, and the weight of thought, as I begin building a collection of meaningful, deeply human Portuguese portraits.

Gus Romano 5/17/25 Gus Romano 5/17/25

Why Oil Painting Matters More Than Ever in the Age of AI

Explore the enduring value of traditional oil painting amidst the rise of AI-generated art. Understand the implications for art education and the future of human creativity.

Gus Romano 5/10/25 Gus Romano 5/10/25

A Tribute in Tiles: Honoring My Grandmother at the Museu Nacional do Azulejo

In A Tribute in Tiles: Honoring My Grandmother at the Museu Nacional do Azulejo, artist [Your Name] shares the deeply personal journey of creating a portrait of his grandmother, Vóvó Nana, in traditional Portuguese azulejos. From a moving invitation by A Magazine to a permanent installation at Lisbon’s most visited museum, this article explores the intersection of memory, family legacy, and timeless craftsmanship. Discover the story behind this touching tribute, the artistic process blending watercolor, ceramics, and oil painting, and the powerful message it carries for future generations.

Gus Romano 5/3/25 Gus Romano 5/3/25

Capturing the Future: My Life-Size Portrait of Geovany Quenda

Discover the story behind Gus Romano’s largest oil painting—an expressive portrait of Sporting CP’s rising star Geovany Quenda. Presented at Academia Cristiano Ronaldo, this tribute blends fine art and football in a unique celebration of talent.

Gus Romano 2/10/25 Gus Romano 2/10/25

Gus vs Gustavo Romano: The Dual Identity of an Artist in the Modern World

In this captivating oil painting self-portrait, Gus Romano the artist captures a profound exploration of identity and introspection. Through a masterful use of color and texture, the canvas reveals the intricacies of the artist's emotions and experiences. The subject's gaze is both inviting and contemplative, drawing viewers into a dialogue about self-perception and the passage of time. By blending realism with subtle abstraction, the artist invites a deeper understanding of the complexities that shape individual narratives. Whether seen as a reflection of personal evolution or a broader commentary on the human experience, this self-portrait stands as a testament to the enduring power of self-exploration in art. The artist remains unnamed, allowing for a more universal connection to the work and its themes.

Gus Romano 1/13/25 Gus Romano 1/13/25

Painting for the Sake of Painting: Reflections on Art, Social Media, and the Creative Process

Explore the journey of an expressive portrait artist navigating the pressures of social media and the creative process. Discover insights on balancing timeless oil painting techniques, emotive modern classicism, and the joy of painting for passion in the fast-paced digital age.

Gus Romano 1/7/25 Gus Romano 1/7/25

Are Traditional Artists Losing Ground in the AI and Social Media Era?

Gus Romano 10/31/24 Gus Romano 10/31/24

Amorim à Van Gogh: My Biggest Portrait and First Cover Feature on Record

Gus Romano 8/19/24 Gus Romano 8/19/24

From Canvas to Code: My Journey from Oil Painting to Web3

In 2021, I took a bold step from the comfort of my oil paints into the uncharted waters of Web3, driven by the dream of blending traditional art with cutting-edge technology. Though my initial attempts to enter platforms like SuperRare were met with silence, the journey didn’t end there. Instead, it led me back to my canvas, where I honed my craft with renewed dedication. Now, in 2024, I’m not just an oil painter but an artist ready to bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds, embracing the future with every brushstroke.

Letters of Gus Romano

Since July 2025, I have been writing what I call my Letters. They are not essays, nor polished reflections, but fragments of my inner life as an artist — thoughts written in the raw, as if to a friend, like Van Gogh once wrote to his brother Theo.

I began these Letters because I realized painting alone cannot hold all that I feel. Sometimes the silence of the studio needs words. In them, I write about doubt, joy, fear, inspiration, exhaustion, and the fragile balance between my work as an artist and my life outside it.

The Letters are dated, imperfect, and deliberately personal. They are not meant to be instructions or manifestos. They are simply traces — records of what it means to search for truth in painting in the 21st century.

Whether anyone reads them now is less important than the fact that they exist. One day, perhaps, they will help explain not only my art, but also the time I lived in, and the questions that guided me.