We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Phil Santos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Phil below.

Hi Phil, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I learned how to paint from taking some basic classes, reading books, and lots of trial and error. Looking back, I wish I had the courage to just jump into oil painting. But the fact is, I was terrified. In my early 20’s I learned acrylics and it wasn’t until years later that I dove into oil painting. The crushing weight of failure haunted me and I thought, “what if I’m terrible at it?”. Somewhere around 2008, I took basic oil painting classes in Santa Monica at a place called Paint Lab. Scott Yeskel was my teacher and taught me the basics of using turpentine, glazes, and color mixing. For some reason, it took me years to really learn and apply the “fat over lean” technique. I believe it was Andy Warhol who said, Make bad art until you make good art. That’s important. It’s ok to suck for awhile, even years. Eventually, you’ll have some lightbulb moments.

Phil, 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 from Rhode Island and moved to LA in 2006, after 15 years, I moved back to RI after family members became older and ill.
I call myself a jerk of all trades. The art I’ve created ranges from large neon portraits to Murals, to WW1 paintings, cityscapes, Selfie Walls (murals). Also paintings of lots of neon signs, Los Angeles landmarks, old architecture, dozens of pet portraits, Live Painting events, Art Battles, curating art shows, installing art shows for BG Gallery at Bergamot Station, and a few odd jobs for Hollywood Productions.
What sets me apart is that I have several times painted some very realistic paintings mostly of landmarks and architecture. Sometimes mistaken for photographs. But in the end, are the paintings worth it? It’s a good question. They usually don’t pay well if you break down by the hour and they are tough on the eyes. Recently, I had lasik done and that’s not a cure either it only helped with distance. So that’s still up for debate. One has to paint for the sake of painting and not be concerned about how much it will pay. Because in my experience, I’ve usually bartended on the side, or welded on submarines, or been broke. Haha! Now I deliver mail. So I’ve had to have an income on the side. Or however you want to say it. My bread and butter, and then make art on the side.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Something I had to unlearn: You can will something into existence by sheer force and effort. I used to believe that in my 20’s and 30’s.
With youth, you have unlimited desire and determination, but if it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be. I’d see all these people painting huge murals for big money and I thought that was definitely a reality for me also. But I don’t think I was ready or prepared for that type of creative commitment. And they just didn’t happen and I’ve been rejected for dozens of large scale projects. I’d like to think that in the future I’ll be doing them. But when I was younger, things seemingly blew up in my face. Like thinking, someone was going to buy my whole collection or invest in my business. It was a bit delusional of me and it was a learning lesson. Not an easy one.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

What drives my creative journey? It’s almost a compulsion, a talent that the Universe has given me, which I’ve worked on and now my job is to share it with the world. Regardless if I’m successful in todays standards or society’s standards. It’s a legacy that you have to think about what you’re leaving behind. Maybe decades from now, someone will be inspired by one of my paintings to create something. And I’d like to think that’s possible and it’s not our job to figure out what the end result is. Another person will see your work and be moved in a positive way. Maybe that changes them forever. An artist named Mike Bryce, did that for me. I saw his incredible work and a little 4″x4″ painting of cherries blew my mind! It was so good! After I saw that, I started painting. Maybe around 2003 or 2004.
. Sometimes I’ve had to take breaks for months, I’m only human. For 3 years, I was working at a submarine base in RI and I was usually only home for a few hours a day so it was really draining. Once you get home, you’re too tired to get creative and set up to paint.

But also, as far as a particular goal, I’d say to just be a full time artist. Working on projects that pay me enough to thrive WITHOUT having to work a 2nd job. That’s the real goal. Work from my living room, painting fine art, or traveling painting large scale murals. That would be the best case scenario.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.philsantos.com
• Instagram: @philsantosart
• Facebook: Phil Santos Art

Image Credits

Mike Bettencourt