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IAN MAPUA

8/15/2017

A Silent Paint Warrior

Ian Mapua is an artist that I have known for over 13 years and happens to be my husband. At the time that I met him he was a recent graduate with a B.A. in Graphic Design from The University of Texas at Arlington. We connected immediately because of our mutual love and passion for the arts. I chose Ian for my blog for two reasons. The first is that he's a great painter and I would do anything to reignite is interest in painting. The second is that I thought I might get to know the person that I've been married to for 10 years a little bit better. There are many graphic designers out there that are good at what they do but they can only create with a computer. He is not only excellent at graphic design but can bring his ideas to life with his large bold paintings on wood and canvas.

Photo by Jessica Oleksy

Tell me about your art background?
I started drawing as early as I can remember. Doodling mostly when I am bored. I enjoyed art classes in school and took art class when it was available. It was fun and easy to do. From elementary school to college to professional, I kept at it working on different medias, such as pencil, paint to computers.

What inspires you as a photographer/artist?
Cartoons, comic books and Manga which are comics created in Japan. I watched a lot of TV, movies and video games. By being glued to the screen I started incorporating my comic book style into my art. Anything from Disney cartoons in the afternoons to anime late at night. I would even pay attention to commercials on TV for video editing, typography on magazine covers, and colors in advertising just to see what the current trend is. The thing that I love the most about painting is you can take a single canvas to tell an entire story.

Hush 5ft x 6ft

Who is your biggest inspiration?
I am inspired by cartoons and comics and movies. Also, Andy Warhol for his simple pop approach to Lichtenstein straight comic pop. Anime from A kira Toriryama to Hayao Miyazaki or basically anyone from Studio Ghibli and Madhouse Inc. Too many to list.

What are your goals as an artist?
I do whatever is easy to do but is still enjoyable. I love working on projects that I'm so into you lose track of time. I'm passionate about doing graphic design for a living which I've been doing for over 15 years. Although sometimes the work can be tedious I still find parts of the work gratifying. I would like to teach my daughters and guide them into creating their own art. My 7 year old Maddie is good at drawing and loves art.