Issue 3 Artist Spotlight | RJ Papaleo

C+B: Tell us about yourself, RJ!

RP: I am a multi-disciplined artist working in the fine art, graphic design, and music production fields. I really enjoy the process of learning a new medium so I am often researching technique & instructional content both online and in print. I am very inspired by nostalgia, the ideas & memories we carry with us and resort to in both good times and bad.

C+B: How has your relationship with your work changed since you first started creating?

RP: To be honest I think my relationship with my work has been consistent since the beginning. When I first started creating in high school I was fully absorbed in every assignment & challenge from my classes. I was always ready & eager to learn a new technique or approach and that fire to grow my skillset has never gone out.

C+B: Share some details about your process for creating.

RP: I paint on a large vintage drafting table in my apartment. Usually I'm listening to a vinyl record or two and they're almost always jazz or classic rock records. I aim to have a piece done in 2-3 hours, but will step away and pause if I need to.

C+B: What is the one accomplishment you most hope to achieve in your creative career?

RP: To be an encouragement to other artists who may feel they aren't equipped or educated enough to pursue art seriously. A true artist is not tethered to status, money or the industry. I believe a true artist soars when those ties are broken.

Find and support RJ here:

IG: @rj_papaleo

(Flight, 11" x 14," acrylic on paper, ©RJ Papaleo)

If my work was a meal it would be: A very geometric fruit tart.

I would love to be able to share my work with: I definitely would have wanted Piet Mondrian to see this current series. He was one of the first abstract artist I was drawn to and I would have loved to hear his feedback.

If I didn’t paint, my creative outlet would be: Sculpture is an area I have studied at an academic level but have yet to pursue in my personal art career. I would like to pursue that at some point if I have the space and materials to do so.

My hope for those viewing my work: I always enjoy hearing the individual and different responses people have when viewing my work. It's fulfilling as an artist to witness that experience a viewer has when they see and experience something completely unique to them.