Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to PABLO DAMAS. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

PABLO, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Every time I talk to anyone about being an artist or they see me out at a venue doing live painting or painting a mural in the community, the most common question is, “How long have you been painting?”. As I’ve gotten older I joke and say, “now I just say forever cause that number keeps getting too big”. Then I let them know that the first time I picked up a paint brush was in 1992. I took the long route to become a full time artist/graphic designer. At the end of 2023 I was commissioned to paint, not only my largest mural but also my most meaningful. I painted a 30×20′ mural at Cal State San Bernardino. This was so meaningful because I thought of all those years of painting that I had done, all the closed doors, all the rejection, all the support, all the opportunities, all the years in front of my easel. I felt like even if this is the only mural I do of this magnitude, it’s the culmination of all of that. I got to paint a mural at a university for all of the students, faculty and visitors to enjoy for years after I’m gone. That made me feel so proud and humble at the same time. I hope that it is one of many murals that I do like that. I hope that it opens doors that I never thought I would pass through. Cause I’m ready to go through those!

PABLO, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was about 8 years old. My single mom always worked two jobs. She worked graveyard for the LAPD as a Clerk Typist. During the day she would work different jobs near home. At some point, her and my brother worked together at a movie rental spot. When they had to work the same shift, I had to go with them since I was too young to stay home alone. I would sit in the back office for 4-8 hours with a few VHS boxes of the Disney movies and copy the characters. At that point, I knew that I would forever be an artist.

Like I said earlier I took the long route to be where I am. In 2008 when the housing market crashed I was working as a mortgage loan officer. The crash wiped me out. I was pushed in to graphic design, which I had started learning and doing on the side since 2001. At the same time that I started doing graphic design full time I started focusing more and more on my art.

I worked for a clothing company full time. We were creating very detailed graphics at Rebel Spirit. There I was not only able to work on my drawing skills but also on my graphic skills. When I left Rebel Spirit I was the Art Director. I had learned the ins and outs of creating a whole collection for every season. I learned to design the actual garments. I mastered technical design. I designed all the marketing campaigns for the company. Since then, I still work for multiple companies creating anything from a logo to T-shirt graphics, marketing campaigns, packaging, technical design and anything in between. At the base of all of those is the ability to draw and paint. Many of the graphics I do are hand drawn and not just cut and paste from reference found on the internet.

The fact that I have all of these skills make me a great asset whether I’m designing your logo or planning the execution of a mural on the side of your building or in your city. Many people can not do all of these tasks and do them extremely well. Now I use my art and graphic abilities hand in hand. Each one helps me excel at what I do.

Most of the expertise I have is self taught. I’ve had to figure out how to solve many problems not only for myself but also for all of my clients. I am extremely proud of that fact. I am continuously learning and adapting to every job or commission that comes along. I know that I can do that for each client that comes along. That pride that I carry comes across in the work that I do. I always make sure that the work I do represents this. I am also extremely humble about what I do and never try to steer clients away from their vision. I will advise them only because of my experience but never try to detour them.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think one of the main things that can be done to support artists or creatives is to show up. Many of us will only support those who already have a lot of support or fans. There is so much talent in the underground working hard to make it out. The only way we can really make it out is through the support of friends, family and the public. If you want good work from a creative you have to be willing to pay and help spread the word. Many of us will pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for a weekend at Coachella to support an artist who doesn’t even know we exist and tell the story of how great it was but won’t spend a couple hundreds bucks to buy an original piece of art to take home created by a local artist. Some won’t even show up to the free show.

So yeah. Just show up!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Many times I hold a lot in. I either don’t know how to express things verbally or figure no one wants to hear it. Through my art I can either express my self through the imagery or through the brush strokes that I use. This helps to keep me centered and level headed. We all go through so much in our lives that we have to just let it out sometimes. Through my art, I’m able to do this. That is extremely rewarding to me. So much that not creating is not even an option. I have to do it. Period.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pablodamas.com
• Instagram: @sickdotone
• Other: https://twitch.tv/sickblessing