Today we’d like to introduce you to Gregg Visintainer.
Gregg, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I always doodled in middle school and high school, hiding different items inside the artwork. Doodling was my way to pass time in class. I graduated high school in 2002 and stopped drawing for 6 years.
I got back into art at 24 years old to deal with some personal demons. I was using artwork as a release and was becoming my journal but through doodling. In 2008, I sold my artwork for the first time at local farmers markets and events throughout San Diego.
In 2013, I opened the Viz Art Gallery in downtown Carlsbad where I feature 20 local artists. My favorite part about the gallery is I get to bring unique artists that I find throughout my journey and sell their art. We have a wide range of local art – jewelry, metal sculptures, paintings, photography, glass and much more.
These last ten years have been crazy from participating in over 1,000 art events and shows to working with some of the best businesses in the industry. I have worked with companies such as DC Shoes, Falken Tires, Grateful Dead, Disney, U.S. Navy, Marines and others. I also a TEDx speaker and speak at schools, colleges and businesses to share my artwork and story.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My art is hand drawn, pen and ink, with hidden pictures and words that relate to each theme. Pieces take 40-80 hours to draw and create about 8-10 pieces a year. I’ve been doing my style for over 18 years and professionally for 10 years.
Each piece is my way to show respect for that topic. I have a wide range of topics from military, cityscapes, nature, sports, kids and others. In each piece, I hide anywhere from 50-150 different items that relate.
I mostly sell prints because my pieces takes a while to create. Prices range from $5-$325, I like to have something for everyone. My artwork is for people who like to take their time to look at detail. My goal is to have people stop, look and appreciate the small things in life. There is so much more what you see from afar. Many people don’t even get a chance to see the hidden details because they only look at the big image. In this fast pace world we live in, sometimes it is nice to slow down.
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
As most artist know, you truly have to enjoy your craft. This industry is not easy and there is that saying… “A starving artist” for a reason. Success for me is to be able to do what I enjoy as a career. Art and live itself is not about money but about adventure, experiences, family, friends and helping others. As a artist and gallery owner, I am lucky I get to do all of that. I get to create, travel and spend time with the ones I love. To me, that is success.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I sell at festivals and art shows throughout the country. Most of my shows are here in San Diego. My licensed Disney artwork can be seen at the WonderGround Gallery in Downtown Disney. You can also visit my website www.VizArtInk.com to see my show schedule.
In 2013, I opened the Viz Art Gallery in Carlsbad, CA. We are in the heart of downtown called, “The Village”, corner of State and Grand. My artwork is always on display with prints, greeting cards, canvas, originals, t-shirts, notepads and more.
We also feature over 20 unique local artists. All of the artists participate in monthly street fairs, festivals or farmers markets. Our gallery has glass, watercolor, metal, photography, jewelry and other incredible artwork. You can visit our gallery website www.VizArtGallery.com
Contact Info:
- Address: 2906 State Street Carlsbad, CA 92008
- Website: Viz Art Ink – www.VizArtInk.com & Viz Art Gallery – www.VizArtGallery.com
- Phone: (760)434-2628
- Email: gregg@vizartink.com
- Instagram: Viz Art Ink – @VizArtInk & Viz Art Gallery – @VizArtGallery
- Facebook: Viz Art Ink – @Viz Art Ink & Viz Art Gallery – @VizArtGallery
Image Credit:
Gregg Visintainer
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