We were lucky to catch up with Johanna Boccardo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Johanna, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Yes, I entirely dedicate myself to my creative practice, which I divide into pure art and concept development and creative design for clients.

My first steps were taken as an illustrator years ago. I was full of ambition and excited about finding projects and making business connections, so I reached out to most of the publishers of children’s books I could find in Spain (I was living in Barcelona at the time). I also reached out to British agents and found someone to represent my work.
Those initial efforts kickstarted a successful path for some years. I was working on several projects at a time, full time.

What made it a quick start for me was my steadfastness in getting a sample of my work in the hands of the right publishers.
I never said no to a project during that time. If I had to work with a dictionary at hand because the copy was in catalan, galician, or afrikaans I did.

From a full time illustrator I started to lean forward life as a full time artist slowly. I began exploring and executing ideas in small formats while I still took illustration and design projects.

The pivotal moment in my career came when I switched perspectives about what an artist could and should be. I left pre-conceived ideas behind and slowly but surely began to take control of where I was heading. I wish to say this was an easy realization, but it took a long time and lots of frustration and studying.

I wish I had understood earlier that there’re no rules. You make your own.

Johanna, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a Miami based Venezuelan artist.

I’ve always known I was an artist. There wasn’t the slightest possibility in my mind growing up that I was meant to do something else.

I started my professional life as a children’s book illustrator. I pivoted to fine arts acting upon the desire of gaining full personal freedom. This freedom was represented by removing deadlines and maintaining full proprietary control of my creations.

My work’s very orderly, geometric, and saturated with color, yet it’s filled with fantasy and lightness. It carries with it the sensations of freedom and abundance I grow up with in Venezuela in the 80’s. It talks about privacy and making the individual’s personal space a top priority. Each painting is a particular story in time, a time stamp with all the complexities behind that moment.

What sets my work apart from others is the sublime sensations that my pieces awaken. I’m able to create emotional atmospheres in a flat format. I help people brighten up or dim down their spaces with my work, all by manipulating color sequences to my best ability.

Besides working with individual collectors, I also work hand-in-hand with interior designers for residential projects, hospitality and corporate spaces. The needs of each design project are met by developing fresh ideas for them inspired by the core of my work.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I love the concept of NFTs. The never ending possibility of them truly excites me. They transcend art and I can’t wait to see them incorporated in our daily digital lives soon.

I’ve been particularly slow in the adoption process as a medium for my work. I have them in mind for a specific project I’m developing, and that’ll take a another minute of two. I want them to transcend the trend and be valuable through the ages.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Yes. My creative journey is at a pivotal point now. It’s an exciting moment when lose ideas that’d been floating in my mind are coming together into something more concrete.

I ultimately want to leave a legacy behind, and it’ll be my gift to the city that’s been so generous with me, Miami. What I have in mind is something that celebrates the past, the legacy of this town, becomes a snapshot of the present and gives people perspective for the future.

It’s not just about beautiful art that’s pleasant to the eyes. It’s about understanding the value of roots in a transient town.
More to come… keep watching.

Contact Info:

• Website: Johanna.miami
• Instagram: Jojapiposa
• Linkedin: Johanna boccardo