10 Questions with Mel Rosado

        Let's put a smile on that faceAs a recent participant of the Adonit Jot Showcase contest (Adonit is the company that created the Jot stylus) Mel Rosado entered his piece titled “Put a Smile on that Face”. The theme of the contest was to pick a scene from a movie and interpret it. Rosado chose the Dark Knight’s Joker. Calling the stylus his “weapon of choice” when he creates anything on the iPad, his dedication paid off – the piece took first prize.

Here Rosado shared with MAZ some of the significant parts of his life as an artist, where he gets inspiration and the evolution behind his art.

Where are you from?

I was born in Humacao, Puerto Rico, partly raised in Buffalo, NY and partly in South Florida. My personality totally reflects Buffalo and Puerto Rico though - easy going, low key but hard working. But I call South Florida home.

How long have you been an artist and did you train professionally or are you self-taught?
From childhood, as far as I’m told, I always had an art pad with me; drawing stick figures here and there. I just never stopped drawing. I am self-taught and still learning; trial and error; experimentation always helps the growth of a person. Darkness no more modern thinking man

Your work is sometimes a combination of mediums; so how would you describe your art and yourself as an artist?
As far as the medium, in my journey as an artist, I've learned that your tools are as important as your talent. I would say I'm still evolving as an artist and have not yet come to the point where I would fall into any specific genre of art. I let the viewer judge.

Though I am a well-rounded artist that attacks any project with full confidence no matter the medium. Right now my preferred medium is graphite/charcoal on anything I can draw on, really. My iPad with my Adonit stylus, have really changed the way I create.

A lot of your illustrations are of movie villains and then, spiritual icons - polar opposites - why is this?

"Order within chaos" day and night, left and right, ying and yang, right and wrong, good and evil; the universe is full of duplicity - a balance? Quite honestly, I did not notice that about the pieces I have, nor were they created with that intention, but to be interpreted by the individual - which is my goal.

Quick DrawHow long does it usually take you to complete a piece and do you work on one at a time - or several at once?

I have pieces that look at me crying out "Finish me, it's been 2 years man!" I take my time, I don't rush. I put love into it and sometimes that love delays the completion of some of the ones closest to my heart. Others can take from 5 minutes to 20 hours on and off of course. Not that I love them any less. 

What keeps you inspired and motivated when the creativity well starts to run dry?

Look around - the beauty this world has. I appreciate the colors the shapes the people... There is so much to take in when we slow down and literally smell the roses. Inspiration is like the wind - it comes - and if you have the tools to take down what it brings, it’s yours. If you miss it, wait for the next breeze.

How has Miami influenced your art?

People watching is a second nature thing for me and personality for characters is important. There’s nothing better than the biggest melting pot in the country to help with character personality.

What artists do you admire or are you influenced by, and why?  Remember Remember that day in September FDNYC

I am a comic book loving geek and comic book art is a huge inspiration. Alex Ross is an artist I follow closely. Norman Rockwell is a top three. My favorite and most inspirational artist is Vincent Van Gogh. People did not treat him too kindly for being a little different. Regardless, he created some of the most amazing pieces - full of emotion. He also never sold a single painting while alive.

What are your artistic goals?

To create freely. It's so important to do what you love because you love it, not because you have to. Through my evolution as an artist, I hope to have pieces in galleries suited to my style of art. Designing tattoos, family portraits, original pieces, comic book characters, posters, t-shirts; I'm always up for any commission/project presented to me.

Describe your ideal life.

I would be a mobile artist. Visit as many places as possible see as much as possible work odd jobs, if I had to. There is so much to take in, this world is huge. And to experience that would be perfect. But as long as there is a beach near me, I'm happy.

Mel Rosado’s art can be seen at Society6.com/Melxart and on FB at Facebook.com/trAxlem.