(guitar music playing) (pining) - [Narrator] It's a Wednesday morning in Northeast Portland and William Hernandez has no idea what he's about to paint.

(speaks in foreign language) (gentle music) I don't make sketches, I don't wanna feel limited.

I think it's that relationship between me and the tools and the canvas all together, trying to make a perfect dance.

And the process is completely spontaneous.

Flowing, paintbrush is going itself.

When I paint, I don't paint the present, I paint the past.

(gentle music) It's like when you're dreaming.

I wanna translate that kinda feelings on every painting, like a dream lifestyle.

While I'm painting, I made the inspiration was something that I saw on the map station.

I saw a little girl with a accordion and two men holding a horse head mask, it was really bizarre.

And I felt like this is good subject for a future painting.

You can see a lot of bright colors on my palette.

My characters needs to be bright because my life is bright.

I need to be honest about the color, reminds me of my country, living in Portland, I'm thinking about Peru.

I feel that I need connection between cultures.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] William grew up in Lima, Peru.

He began drawing as soon as he could hold a pen.

(gentle upbeat music) At age 18 he joined Lima's National School of Fine Arts, one of the most prestigious art institutes in South America.

- The Fine Arts School is really famous because you learn from master teachers.

I think it was one of the most important part of my whole life.

(indistinct chatter) - [Narrator] But while he was there, politics took center stage.

- In 1999 in Lima Peru, there were a lot of political issues.

We were really convinced that it was a lot of corruption even in the school.

And some of my friends decided to take over our school.

(chanting slogans) I remember when we have the first march, it was a big one.

So I just grabbed whatever I found and created political signs.

(indistinct chatter) (whistling and drumming) - [Narrator] The protest ended, William graduated, and soon scored his first solo show in Lima.

Then in 2008, his life changed dramatically.

- Well, I met my wife in Lima and she from here and she said you know it's time to move to Portland, Oregon.

I became a father, I have two kids, six years old and three years old.

And my life changed forever and in a good way.

- [Narrator] William's set up his new studio in Portland and continued painting and he painted a lot.

(upbeat music) (children chatting) - Okay guys, remember your paintings yesterday?

- [Children] Yes.

- [Narrator] And he began sharing his skills with a whole new group.

- I enjoy to teach art besides my artistic career and everything.

I really like to be involved with kids because they are really amazing.

- I like to show my feelings, and I like to paint and I like to make colors.

- One thing that I always told them, this is not an art class.

You won't learn about primary colors or techniques.

You are learning here to be free to spread yourself, to put on the canvas, on the paper, whatever you want to do but try to be honest.

When I finish a painting, I feel really great.

I had something to do and I express myself on the canvas and then it's gone.

I think I am happy with this, done!

(epic music) Even though I finished a painting I feel like it's not really done until the painting is hanging on the walls.

I think you are moving your own soul with art but you need to share your art with the people.

(indistinct chatting) So my neighbor has a lot of tickets.

I love opening reception because it's the only way that you can connect with the people.

People are asking about each painting.

(soft epic music) I paint 'cause I like to express all of that I have inside me.

Like a bird, from nothing, to painting.

I wanna create something that people can feel some emotion.

I wanna show to everyone who I am, I wanna be better every time.