We had the good fortune of connecting with Julian Chavez and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Julian, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I’m from a small town called Winslow in Arizona. My upbringing definitely was an artistic one. My family is artistic and I think that played a huge role for me growing up. My dad, uncle Jason and my uncle LD we’re my biggest influences into getting more into art and being more creative as I grew up. My uncle LD was an amazing tattoo artist out of Flagstaff Az, just growing up and spending time with him when I did before he passed was huge as in learning to do my own designs and characters. My Uncle Jason is my biggest influence by far, I look up to him and go to him with every piece before it’s done and get his input and advice on the piece that I’m doing at that time. He’s the reason why I’ve stuck with art for as long as I have, just becuase he has always supported me and given me honest criticism to help me grow as an artist. My Dad is an artist as well , and he has a style that is unlike anyone else’s. Just to see him grow as an artist has been really fun to watch and it has helped me as in staying with my own style as well. Without these three I wouldn’t be the artist that I am today and I’m thankful that they have supported me through it all.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I believe what sets me apart from other artist is my style. I have a really cartoonist graffiti style of art and where I am from it is not very popular as in the style around the town I live is more of a realistic style. I have gotten to where I am at today by not giving up in my art even when the criticism was tough. Not every piece is going to be loved and liked by everyone and you have to learn to accept that and grow from it. Instead of taking the criticism as a negative turn it into a positive. The lessons I’ve learned along the way are to never give up even when time get hard. Not everyone is going to like what you make or create , do it anyways. And to always keep positive in every situation, why make something worse when you can learn and make it better.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had a friend visiting I’d take them all around downtown Winslow first. For breakfast is take them to this little joint called the supper shop. It’s an amazing coffee/breakfast and lunch place. And the cashier’s and servers are super nice and bring a good vibe. After that we’d go to a place called relic road. It has to be the best restaurant in Winslow in my opinion. The food is good, the service is amazing and it just feels like a good place to be all around . The next day I would take them to another restaurant called the falcon. It’s one of my favorite places to get breakfast, the food is amazing and it’s one of Winslows most known restaurants around the town. After that we would go out to clear creek and check out the creek and hike around the area. It’s so beautiful out there and the sunset and sunrise can’t be matched! Then to end it we would check out all of Winslows downtown shops and art scenes. The art around Winslow is amazing, and the artists are as well. That’s what a week with me around Winslow would be like for sure.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My Uncle Jasons mentorship is a huge reason why I am the artist that I am today. He gives me honest criticism and advice to make my pieces better, or if the piece is terrible and off he will tell me without hesitating at all. He has helped me in more ways then he knows, and that’s why he is deserving of this shoutout.
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