We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Catherine Leone a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Catherine, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Although my main artistic outlet is painting and digital illustration, I create in a variety of mediums to keep my mind fresh and to push myself and my abilities. Taking risks in the art world is a very scary feeling, but is very rewarding. Often I will see something online that I have never tried and I encourage myself to jump in and fully immerse myself in this new process. This can feel risky, especially when you are creating for an audience or with the intention of bringing items to shows because nothing is 100% guaranteed to bring success. A recent leap of faith I have taken is into the world of glass sublimation. I was very nervous at first, both for the sublimation process, but for the finances I would be dedicating to this new medium. After contemplating it for months, I finally jumped in feet first and quickly found this art to be my new hot seller at conventions and markets.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a self taught mixed medium artist who creates in clay, yarn, digital illustration, resin, and traditional painting. My primary focus is sci-fi and fantasy illustrations that are heavily inspired by the 90s and 2000s Japanese anime styles with the intent to bring a sense of nostalgic illustration to current interests. Representation and affordability is incredibly important to me as an artist. My goal is to make art that anyone can look at and see themselves in, which is unfortunately not as common as it should be. I am very thankful to have grown up being able to see myself in media, and I want to bring that excitement to future generations. My art will always be affordable and accessible, there is no point in making art if only a fraction of the population can enjoy it.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

While art is often seen as an inclusive industry, it is still often gate-kept from new artists. The advancements of technology makes art more accessible and you can now see what people are creating across the globe without having to travel. This can be a huge point of inspiration for artists of any level. However, this also has created a sense of secrecy, no one wants to share their struggles and process in fear of being “copied.” This is something we need to move past in order to create a prosperous creative ecosystem. My journey has come with a lot of trial and error, I wish I had someone to give me tips or guidance on certain things. Many larger creators wouldn’t respond to me when I would reach out for questions or advice; if I can provide even one tip to one new creator that helps them in some way, then I did my job as an artist with an online presence.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I am currently in school for my Bachelors in Game Art and Development. One major goal of mine is to independently own an animation studio where I can produce animated films, video games, shorts, and character design for larger companies. Art has always been my passion and although I just turned 26, I have decided I am too old to not be happy. If I want my dreams to come true I have to work hard, which can look like posting on social media, going to school, attending podcasts and interviews, giving advice to newer artists, and vending at events as often as possible. Dreams are just promises to your future self.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.leonetheartist.com
• Instagram: @leonetheartistofficial
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/leonetheartist
• Linkedin: Linktr.ee/leonetheartist