Cayetano Valenzuela Syracuse, New York
Le Style Moderne: I've know Cayetano for too many years to count. He is easily on of my best fiends and most trusted art cohorts. Over the years we've created books, curated shows, clothing, prints, and drank our fair share of brews together. Most recently we're having our first duet show, "Wonders of a Forgotten Past", a circus themed art event.
On his own, Cayetano has been keeping pretty busy. Besides starting a family recently, he's had numerous shows, shown paintings internationally, illustrated comics, published solo art books, and has done work for a plethora of both indy and national acts.
After I shot some video of his studio, we sat sown to talk.
So Cayetano, why don't you tell the nice people where you are from?
Cayetano Valenzuela: I was born in Houston Texas and I now live in Syracuse, New York.
LSM: Does being a Texan influence your art at all?
CV: In a way I suppose my palette has always been described as lush, which is something I always think about when I am visiting my folks. I know that a lot of the imagery that I use, like power lines at dusk, was definitely something I remember from the street that I lived on in Denver Harbor.
LSM: And do you feel your love for trees and woodland creatures , stems from living in Upstate New York?
CV: You know it kid. I mean, I don't know about woodland creatures but the pine stands that I like to paint come from time spent driving around at night with my firends in high school getting drunk at the beach and watching the sun come up. I am sure you can understand that feeling and trying to capture it.
LSM: And the taste of the air. If we could just put that in paper too.
CV: Yeah, I remember leaning out of the window as we drove and looking up at the stars being all messed up and watching the tops of the trees roll by like a carousel.
LSM: Ha, I've been there....So beside capturing that feel with your painting, what do you like to illustrate? I know it's similar, but I think it feels slightly different....
CV: Well, when I illustrate it is a bit of a different story. I am thinking more about lines and what the objective is. Say I am working for a client on a T-shirt design or an album cover, I have more than likely, been given a set of parameters that I am dealing with. The the process becomes more about problem solving. I try to make an image that is compelling and captures the feel of that band while making sure that , if it's for a T-shirt it reads as a shirt design and not just an image with a bands name on it.
LSM: And speaking of that, you've recently been working with some pretty large bands. I know you can't talk about all of them yet, but do you want to give a little background on how all that happened?
CV: Well I was contacted by one of the art directors from a larger merchandiser and she said they found my stuff on Bandjob and one of the bands she works with, were "big fans" of my work and wanted to get me on board for shirt designs. We worked together on a few designs and they keep coming back to me, so I assume they like me. I have been doing stuff for bands for awhile now. Mostly east coast bands that I know. I think the first one was THe Knockdown, which now is defunct. It's really too bad because I loved that band.
Then basically more people saw that I was doing stuff for bands and gave me a call. That is how it started. Just doing friends band stuff and getting paid in beer. I mean that was cool for a little while, but it got old fast.
LSM: SO, no more beer and onto the green?
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CV: Most of the stuff that I do got bands are bands I really admire and actually listen to. I but their records and they buy my art. Win win.
Don't get me wrong it was really good beer.
LSM: That's true, I remember you having cases.
CV: Yeah dude, I think we had a few parties just so we could finish it all.
LSM: See, that beer talk throws us off track. What other projects, besides band goddies, do you have coming up?
CV: Well I just took down a show at C2 and Obviously I am getting ready for the Wonders of a Forgotten Past Show which is all images having to do with the circus. I have a group show coming up at 111 Minna San Francisco with Lower Branch who are having a one year anniversary show.
Also my sister is a fine book binder and we have been talking about putting together a limited edition hardcover book for a while. We are going to doing a letter pressed edition of fairy tales. I am doing the illustrations and she is doing the letterpress and binding.
LSM: You've been talking about that for a bit. Don't hate me if I come out with one before you....!
CV: I'm not worried about that. Mine is going to actually be good.
I am in the middle of rebuilding my wedsite and setting up the new shop too. One of my co-conspiritors and I have been printing shirts and posters under the moniker Texas prints and we have been selling online and at a few shops around the area.
LSM: ...if it comes out....Tell us a little about Texas Prints.
CV: I should have shown you the drawings I have started at the studio. Texas Prints is Ted Casper mostly. He prints my images and shirts and I help him print 12" covers and shirts for bands. We have also started designing together. He knows a lot of bands because he plays shows with them so it is a whole new set of eyes to have land on my stuff. We worked together on a Mayflower ep and we both loved how it came out so we are going to do an album cover for Timeshares.
LSM: So you're staying busy?
CV: Yeah, I have a couple of irons in the fire.
LSM: Now I know you're making the leap into doing this full time, what's the battle plan? What's your advice?
CV: I guess I would say that it is an on going process. Not just a sort of step 1-5 and your done. Its a constant cycle of making work, seeking gigs/clients and selling.
I always like having a few different projects going on so I don't get bogged down on one thing. It also dictates your pace. I feel like the more I have going on the more I get done. It just gets my brain firing on all the right levels.
LSM: Any other advice to Artists?
CV:Make work you like and always strive to get better. I like to think on each piece I make that this is going to be the best piece I've ever made. Also when you go to the art store make a point of picking up something new that you haven't used before. I have found some really nice tools this way.
LSM: Such as?
CV: Well the Pentl Graphic brush pen is awesome. I use that thing all the time. It is a refill able pen that has a really nice brush tip. I have also picked up some liquitex free style brushes that just have really nice feel when laying down large areas of color and or washes.
LSM: You love that pen. It seems everyone is using it recently.
CV: Yeah dude remember when David Mac pushed it around like a broom and made those beautiful lines?
LSM: Hell yeah I do. That was crazy. I remember you went right home and tried that same style.
CV: Actually My buddy Joey Potts told me about that pen. I ran out ant bought one and never looked back.
LSM: Who else has influenced you?
CV: Well right now now I am looking at figurative painters like Aaron Nagel, Shawn Barber, Jeremy Geddes and Kris Lewis. I also really love Alex Kanevskyi, Anthony lister and Andrew Hem. Also James Jean, Mcbess.... Honestly the list goes on and on. I just love looking at art. I have also really gotten into sign painters lately.
LSM: Any new artists to watch out for? Up and comers?
CV: Naw dude. I'll let you go out and find the talent.
LSM: Ha, will do!
Any last thoughts?
CV: Keep your eyeballs peele for the new website and lots of new work that I've got cooking. Check out my blog and flickr for new stuff too...as well as society6.
LSM: Thanks for taking the time for doing this.
To see more of Cayetano's work check out:
