Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Sketchbook:1971...



When I look at my old sketchbooks I'm always amazed that I had the balls to keep going. Who would accept this type of crap? Surely not any art buyer or editor with taste. But somehow, for some reason, I soldiered on. Maybe it was sheer force of will. I surely wasn't prepared for any type of art career in my schooling or background. I came from a neighborhood of Longshoremen, Sanitation Workers and Shoemakers. Who in their right mind would let this little greaseball into the art world?

As it turns out; my first boss in the advertising field was a third generation Italian-American like I was, who probably saw a bit of himself in me when I interviewed for a "Paste-Up Artist" position at Gem Studio. He took a chance on hiring me, and ultimatelly I wound up being the first on-staff Illustrator in the studios history,for that I will always be grateful, and willing to bet on any creative person who has a burning desire to work in the creative arts.

I encourage anyone who may not be "there yet" to keep at it, because you never know... maybe someone will take a chance and hire you. Then, years later, you can look at your old crappy drawings and smile.

8 comments:

Oscar Grillo said...

Even if the genesis of this style is clear, I admire how loose and freely you managed to put together the lines of this drawing.

Thomas Fluharty said...

THIRD BASE vinny. YOU UP?????????? yes i know it well. im grateful too that joe brought me in. all the best my friend. your fan tommy flu

Vince M said...

Thank you for the kind words, Mr. Grillo. I appreciate you taking the time to visit and comment.

Hey Kid in the "Green Suit"- I knew you were trouble the moment I laid eyes on you. ;)
Love your latest post. Great insight to your working methods.
God Bless Mr. Joe Blangiardo, he helped a lot of people get started in this wonderful trade.

Kimberly M Zamlich said...

You are way too humble, vince. We all started with crappy drawings. You know, us artists are a sensitive and insecure lot. But isn't wonderful that we can make a living doing this? My dad was a migrant strawberry worker who was hated by then America because he was Japanese. Who ever knew that artists could make money? Thanks for sharing!

Kimzam

Vince M said...

Thanks for the nice words, and sharing your own experience in rough beginnings. And I agree, it's a privilege to be able to make a living as artists.

I may have humility now, but in the '70s I was dead set on becoming an artist and musician. John Lennon was my role model. That was a man who could do it all, in spite of, or perhaps due to his hard-scrabble beginnings.

R.Dress said...

The search for beauty is in itself the most wholesome of all quests.

-Louis Comfort Tiffany

Vince M said...

Thank you for the wonderfully appropriate quote, Mr. Dress.

Vince M said...

Just a final entry on this post; In the dark days that this piece was created, any positive reaction, or ANY reaction at all was unimagined. I was creating in a vacuum, a caveman chipping out images on a stone wall. I can't thank you enough for the validation.

May God bless all of you, as he has me, with your involvement, kindness and encouragement.