"In gathering material for paintings," Chilton says "I have the best job in the world!" Chilton produced the posters for the International Mariachi Conference in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. One of Fred's many observations about the process of painting is: "The beginning of a painting is exciting, and the end is exciting. The middle is pure, hard labor!"
Among his frequent advice to students is:
1. "Don't work towards having a style of your own, like your signature, it will develop and evolve without thinking about it. No other marks on paper represent 'you' more than your signature. The same will happen with your painting if you don't think about it and paint a lot!"
2. When asked, "What's the most important thing about painting?" his answer always remains the same: "Honesty and courage"