We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rey Bustos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rey below.
Alright, Rey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
My parents moved me and my older siblings to the U.S. (Los Angeles) from Colombia, S.A. in 1964 when I was six years old. At that time and age I really did not understand what was happening or why I could not understand what people were saying, I did not know the concept of world languages, therefore I became withdrawn and often frightened. On top of the huge and upsetting new life that I was thrown into I was also placed in school for the first time in my life, 1st grade in a dreary, and ugly school in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles. Everything in this new world seemed ugly and full of hardness, concrete and scary new people. We now lived in an apartment rather than a two story home in a beautiful land we left behind. I now know, of course, that my parents brought us here for the opportunities for us kids to have more of a chance to have more without the instability of a country with an uncertain future, politically and economically.
Anyway, to answer the question, I had never really drawn or did art in Colombia but here, not knowing English, I found that in doing art, at home but especially at school, I found joy in what was otherwise and unpleasant life.
I also realized that I may have had a little bit of an aptitude for drawing since often during art time or when we had to stay in during rainy days and were able to do more art, that kids would come over and wave other kids to view what I was doing.
I was perplexed but soon realized that I was doing something,”Good”. I found my voice as I slowly learned English. But it a very specific moment in my life, in second grade, when we did have that rare day, a day in L.A. when it poured. I had a seat by the window that faced the blacktop playground and we were all doing art. I was especially happy drawing and I also loved the rain. I looked out the window, the tether balls were twisting around the steel poles as if being played by an invisible kid, the rain pelted the hard ground and I looked at my artwork and all of a sudden I felty a wave of joy that I had never felt before and in many ways have not since. I specifically said to myself, “I want to feel like this forever”. That is my personal story of how the 7 year old me gave birth to the artist that I have been and still am. To this day, when it rains, I go to my studio and draw with the accompanying rain outside reminding me of the joy that is my life.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My path as an artist has been the same as many that are also artists. Full of meandering, interesting, challenging paths. The biggest decision that I made was to finally get into a great design/art school. For me, and at that time, it was the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena , California.
I was fortunate to have already been living in southern California in that nearby we had on of the premier art schools in the country.
I entered the school in the summer of 1986 as an illustration major. Many of my teachers were amazing and the rigorous education was enough to break many that did not make it past two terms. But for me, I found exactly what I needed. In those days we dared not complain nor question, our teachers were like gods to us. They challenged and pushed us and got us ready for the tough field that we were going to enter. But for me I also started to get to thinking about teaching. It was in my anatomy class in my third of eight terms. It was in Burne Hogarth’s class that I fell in love with artistic anatomy. I was fascinated and impressed with his knowledge of muscles and bones, of drawing and composition. I remember thinking how I not only wanted to know what he knew but hoped to teach the subject and not only to teach it but to teach it at Art Center.
Well, after Mr.Hogarth’s death in 1995 I tired to make that dream come true. A few people before me taught the class but I finally got my shot after pestering them to give me a shot. In January 1998 I got that opportunity and , voila, I had that class for the next 23 years until 2020. I only missed one single day in 23 years, I loved that job so much. I ended up rising to the position of associate professor. I now only teach online. I have had several spine surgeries and one serious neck surgery in December 2022 which has left me partially disabled but still very enthusiastically teaching and sharing with my beloved students. I did illustrate for many magazines and did fine art shows and was represented but I stopped both in 2010 to focus soley on teaching and creating my anatomy book, released in 2021.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The fact is, the world is not equal. In many parts of this earth being an artist is not a viable option or occupation that is possible. Whether it is because of war, poverty both or any myriad of reasons, art is a luxury not always afforded to people. It is in many cultures not even respected as a profession yet it is what is sorely missing from humanity today.
Visual arts, music ,writing and the performing arts even in this country are not respected as much as other professions.
Even public schools when faced with budget cuts of cut out the arts.
For me, I am always aware of how lucky that I am to have been able to have had the chance to have been an artist and to have been and continue for the rest of my life to be a teacher. In teaching I have the blessed, sacred opportunity to pass on my knowledge and passion for what I know. Like a village elder I continue to have value and be seen by young artists as an inspirational story to give courage to follow ones dream. All of my dreams have come true, or maybe, all of my dreams were made to become true by my belief in myself and the most important asset in my life, living in gratitude even during challenging and frightful times when I was not able to see around corners, I believed that in the end I would always pick the right path, even when it seemed as though I may have looked wrong at the time, it was merely a lesson that needed to be learned.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I have had many hurtful moments when I am confronted by the thought of many that do not respect that I am an artist or even worse, that I teach art. As for being an artist it is sometimes seen as “Fluff” or something like being a child that never grew up. They may admire Leonardo or other “Real” artists because to some these old masters are famous and lived in a different time or something that I am often still unable to figure out. As for being a teacher, unfortunately someone, some time long ago and for some ignorant and unkind reason created the quote, “Those who can do, those who can’t teach”. No single quote in my opinion has created more harm to teachers of any subject more harm than that unkind and obnoxious statement.
For me teaching became a calling like being a Rabbi or priest. I also honestly feel that it was what I was supposed to do in this life. It is something I never need to stop doing. So, non creatives often may think less of being an artist but I have often found that the same people can’t wait for the weekend and dread Mondays. They can’t wait for their vacation time and for retirement. They can’t wait to do anything rather than what they do. I looked forward to my Mondays, I would get to see me Art Center students. I enjoyed my down times in between terms and family vacations but I also looked forward to resuming my new terms, new students and more opportunities to inspire and to teach this subject that I love so much.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.reybustos.com
- Instagram: reybustosanatomynut
- Facebook: rey bustos
Image Credits
Old master art work, public domain, plus they are drawn over my Rey Bustos.