I had the honor of meeting Al Molina & his lovely wife, Stephanie, at a Comic Con in Houston, back in August 2014. I was so enamored by his Harley Quinn "Cute and Crazy Love" print, that I asked if he would like to be featured! So without further ado let's dive in and see some of his amazing work and learn about the man behind the art!
Hi my name is Al Molina (Artist) I was born and raised in Corpus
Christi, Texas, I have been an Artist since I could hold a pencil, One
of my first memories of drawing was in the First Grade, It was right
after lunch, I went inside the class room and started drawing on the
chalkboard, drawing on the chalkboard wasn't what I scolded for it was
the assignement on it that I erased, Yep! I'm a rebel, I've been an
Outlaw Artist ever since, Ha!!.I'm married to my beautiful wife Stephanie, and I have three kids, two Daughters, Savannah and Sierra, and one step son Michael, we also have a boxer mix, Jackson, he is a handful but a good dog.
I started painting about 6 years ago, There was a painting I wanted to buy and I thought to myself, I can do that, so I bought all the material and took a stab at it, and when I was done I went back to the one I wanted to buy and I thought my painting was better, this began my love for painting, I started painting everything that I loved, Movies, Musicians, and it wasn't until I joined up with a local art group that I fell in love with Dia de los Muertos, we were doing a show for Halloween and Day of the Dead, it was the first time I painted a portrait of a woman painted up like sugar skull, I loved the dark tone of the theme, but the beauty and the color of the holiday and the meaning behind it all, to honor the loved ones that have passed on. it is a beautiful holiday.
I have a full time job and my painting business I do as a side job, I hope to one day turn it into a full time business, but I'm always looking for more creative ideas to do with my artwork, I make prints, buttons, mirrors, coasters, and I have a few more things to come. Art is very important to me, it has opened up several doors, I've been able to meet celebrities, musicians, and I've made several fans around the world, I've sold painting through out the united states I've even sold a painting to a fan in Australia, giving me the title of international artist, it is truly a honor to have some many people enjoying my art.
I joined Etsy after a few of my artist friends told me that they are on it and have been successful on it, so I thought it couldn't hurt, and after a couple of months, I've made a few sales, its pretty exciting, and I hope to make more sales as more people discover my site.
I've always wanted to have a business where I could sell my work, so I bought a computer and slowly did some research on how to start a business, and after a few years I've built up a following, and my business is slowly growing and hopefully it will continue to grow. one of the first pieces I sold was a Dia de los Muertos paiting, the excitement that the person that bought the painting had, inspired me to paint more, I knew this is what I wanted to do.
I do take commissions, and special request, when someone wants a custom piece, I determine the price by the size and the detail of the subject, I require half down before I start the piece and then the remaining balance when I'm done.
The best part of owning my own business, and being a painter is the freedom I get when I am creating something from a blank piece of canvas, I have a twisted sense of humor, I often mash-up cartoon characters with movies, which often gets a big reaction from people, they laugh out loud and often want to show it to their friend so they also enjoy the work, seeing the reaction they have about my work motivates me to paint more. it makes me happy to see them have such a good time seeing my work.
One of my favorite pieces is "Mi Amor detras del Velo" it was a piece I donated to a charity event, it now hangs in a tattoo show, it is one of my more popular pieces, I've sold several prints on this piece, my Dia de los Muertos is some of my most popular works, I received a letter from a teacher in Florida, she said that she used my work as a teaching tool to inspire her students about the art. I felt so honored that she used my work as an inspiration for her students, that was one of the biggest compliments I have ever received, it makes me feel like i'm on the right path.
At the moment I've only attend Texas shows, I'm hoping that within a year or so, I will branch out to out of state shows. hoping to expand my fan base, I do have fans via internet that span from the United State, Canada, South America, Europe and Australia, and hopefully more is to come.
In closing what I want people to know about me is that I'm pretty easy going, I love my fans, and if I can inspire anyone to pick up a pencil or brush, then it will have made what I'm doing all worth it.
Al, thanks so much for being such a wonderful artistic presence in not only Texas, but around the world! My Harley Quinn print is hanging proudly on my wall and I cannot wait to purchase more from you in the future! Have a wonderful 2015! Check out his Etsy shop HERE. Al Molina resides in Corpus Christi, Texas
with his wife and kids and his crazy dog.
No comments:
Post a Comment