We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Levi Ponce. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Levi below.
Hi Levi, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I was fortunate enough to have a sign painter for a father. From an early age I saw painting as both a business and an artform. As i grew older and my skillset grew I was able to do smaller paint jobs. I started by painting houses because I knew the tools and materials. eventually I added sign painting to my palette, then graphics and murals, then a bachelors degree in Animation. If I could go back I wouldn’t change much, instead of speeding up the process I would tell myself to slow down and enjoy the different stages of my career more. Be more present.
Levi, 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 grew up in Los Angeles and first learned to paint from his father, a wild sign painter known in America as Hector Ponce. After graduating with a Bachelors in animation I worked in film for a few years. I was fortunate enough to work on a bunch of films with Star Wars and Interstellar being highlights. From there I worked at Disney Imagineering developing artwork and other fun stuff for attractions at the Disney theme parks. All the while I also painted murals and developed a three-mile stretch of Van Nuys Blvd into an area dubbed Mural Mile. Through the mural experience I’ve been featured in shows at The Peterson Automotive Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Art of Yucatan (MACAY), and other galleries and venues.
I’ve since left themed entertainment, started a family, and focus mostly on developing artwork for marketing agencies and real estate management companies. I do this throughout the city and across the US. Cheers.
Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?
I didn’t understand them. They didn’t make any sense… And so when I was asked to attend an NFT event I decided to participate to learn about it. I felt that NFT’s are a bit fishy and I wasn’t surprised when that market crashed.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Being paid to make something out of nothing feels like magic. I can flip paint for profit by applying it in a particular way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://leviponce.com
- Instagram: leviponce
