Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph DiAnna.
Joseph, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
As a kid I was entranced by visual storytelling, whether it was comic books, film or illustration. My dad rented movies that he loved as a kid for me weekly, so around age 8-10 I was exposed to movies like “the 7th Voyage of Sinbad” and “Clash of the Titans”, and those old Ray Harryhausen stop motion flicks really captured my imagination. Around the same time I became obsessed with the comic strip “Calvin and Hobbes”, and Bill Watterson’s progression as a storyteller and artist throughout the run of that comic strip instilled a creative spark in me that continues to fuel my goals as an artist today. From grade school through high school I spent my free time reading comics, doodling in sketchbooks and creating stop motion animations. After high school I naturally pursued an education in 2D animation, but found I was more of an illustrator than an animator, and after trying my hand at serveral mediums I grew to love graphic design. Currently I work as a logo and brand identity designer making custom graphics, and I create pop culture inspired digital illustrations in my free time. Even though I don’t work in animation it is still my main inspiration for my personal work. I’ve found my background in character design gives me a unique foundation to build on as a logo designer, and I enjoy it very much.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My focuses in art have changed drastically over the course of my life. I can honestly say I’ve tried my hand at most mediums from graphite rendering to film editing, logo design, sculpting, writing, character design, animation, and photography. I used to see this jack of all trades approach as a strength, but ultimately realized I was spreading myself thin and had to narrow down my interests to have any hope at mastering a craft. In one sense I feel as though I wasted time jumping between varied interests, but in hindsight I am thankful for those explorative years because I needed the hands-on experience to truly find what I love doing.
I’ve found I am happiest working as a logo designer and digital illustrator. I primarily work in vector illustration, and enjoy creating pop culture art influenced by comics, movies, and video games that I grew up with in the 80s and 90s. I don’t have an underlying message throughout my work, but I believe the key to powerful impactful art lies in simplicity, so I always exercise a minimalist philosophy in how I present my art. My hope for anyone who sees my work is first to simply bring a smile to their face, and second to inspire them to indulge in their own nostalgia for past enthusiasms.
What would you recommend to an artist new to the city, or to art, in terms of meeting and connecting with other artists and creatives?
To someone new to the field or to a city, I would suggest joining a local sketch meetup group. No matter what city you’re in, you can guarantee there are local artists that get together weekly for drinks and sketching! I would also recommend developing a social media presence, not only for inspiration and personal exposure but to make connections and see how and where local artists show their work and get together.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I am currently showing work at Second Chance Beer company in Carmel Mountain (north county San Diego). My gallery will be up from October 1st to January 1st 2019. The pieces I am presenting are a mash up of logo design and pop culture illustrations, and are available to purchase until January 1st. If you enjoy my work you can follow me on Instagram at @AverageJoesArt, or visit my online shop to purchase prints at www.joediannaart.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.joediannaart.com
- Phone: 858 705 1865
- Email: josephdianna858@gmail.com
- Instagram: AverageJoesArt
Image Credit:
All images are original creations of Joseph DiAnna. Special thanks to Second Chance brewery for the wall space.
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