JESSE RAUDALES:North Hollywood Based Artist is Breaking History as the 1st Minority Olympic Artist
Jesse Raudales, an Olympic artist based in North Hollywood is adding some color to the art world. Raudales is attracting attention with every art show and interview he does. It also helps to have friends like Tommy Ford and Miguel Nunez. His greatest masterpiece would be his son Jesse Junior. In his painting, “Peace for the Children of the World,” Raudales painted his son Jesse Jr. He later was selected as an official artist for the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Raudales amazing story didn’t start with the Winter 2006 Olympics. Pronounced dead on May 21, 1970, Raudales’ mother and grandmother prayed to God and his mother cradled her child in her arms. Raudales mother named him Jesus to honor god, and until age five the child wore burlap robes, leather sandals and long hair.
Jesus Guadeloupe Raudales won first place in a statewide art show in North Carolina at age seven. “It felt really good as a child just to know that your artwork was selected,” said Raudales.
In 2006 Raudales became the first minority chosen as an official artist for the Olympics, and at this point in his young career he considers the artwork selected for the 2006 Winter Olympics as his greatest achievement. “I’m re¬ally like a baby in the artwork. That’s our Oscar and that’s our Grammy, being selected as an Olympic artist. That is like the highest achievement you can receive as an artist,” added Raudales.
Raudales grandmother a black Cuban wouldn’t ac¬knowledge that she was African. A number of Raudales family members don’t recognize their African side of the family. Raudales accepts and embraces his black roots and says he’s proud of it. “Being the only minority artist in the Olympics and the only artist to have three painting simultaneous at the same time in one Olympics and being the youngest artist selected for the Olympics its bitter sweet,” said Raudales.
Raudales son Jesse Jr. Is a major influence on the artist’s life. “When I found out I was having a child I thought my art career was over. But actually I just found out its just the be¬ginning by having him,” said Raudales.
The artist’s careers just started, and Jesse Jr. “inspires me because he is the love of my life,” Raudales said.
Raudales considers him¬self a “speed artist.” Raudales explains that the average artists can take three weeks to a month or longer to finish a piece. It can take Raudales a day or a couple of hours to finish a piece depending if he uses oil or not. When he was studying Fashion Design and Commercial Arts at the Arts Institute in Atlanta, Georgia Raudales brought his assignments in the day after they were assigned. His professors would say “I wasn’t taking my time and I didn’t really focus on the lesson, but actually I was a speed artists and I just work off feelings,” said Rau¬dales.
The only artist that Raudales really likes is Michelangelo but he says he really doesn’t like his work. “I just like him as an artist because he did everything that I do. He invented, he sculpted, he painted, worked with pastels, acrylics, oils all types of medium. So I guess I just respect him as an artist because he is a true artist,” said Raudales.
Raudales likes to paint everything and likes to tell a story. “I like to paint current affairs things that happened in my era. ….If somebody passes away and it touches me like Ray Charles, Corretta Scott King, it touched me, so I paint¬ed them. I just paint what’s happening in my era my time today like with the Katrina incident,” said Raudales.
Raudales hopes to become a conglomerate in the future “I will be a self-made millionaire. Probably have a couple of art galleries, a graphics company teaching art some where in my galleries or just in facilities. Hopefully watching my son in college and seeing his career grow,” he said.
The artist recently signed with Zazzel so he is well on his way to becoming a self-made millionaire. “It is a great way for my fans and all art lovers to be able to get all of my paintings and design at an affordable price and within 24 hrs. It also allows people from other countries who can not come to one of my art shows to be able to buy my artwork. I am one of a few artist who Zazzel has signed, they mostly sign Actors or Singers and all A List Celebrities like Hanna Montana, the Black Eyed Peas etc... So it’s really good for both of us,” said Raudales.
Raudales hopes his son will run his businesses for him when he gets old enough. The artist is currently working on a couple of cartoon shows, so T.V. shows and animations are also in Raudales future. He is also scheduled for art shows in the UK.
As time passes Raudales future gets brighter and brighter and people are looking as he makes breaking history. Gallery owners and managers have told Raudales that he is “able to capture the younger generation which is very good for galleries because that is what they want to target.”
The artists fan base is 35 and under “that’s good because once an artist gets a fan base its last forever even when after the artist passes away the work becomes more famous so the fans make the work become famous,” added Raudales.
For young artists just breaking in to the field Raudales says, “keep pushing and pushing and pushing, stay focus, always put god first, don’t get discouraged. Its hard breaking into the art world but you have to stay determined and focused.”
An original Jesse Raudales painting runs between $2,500 to $10,000 which is, a steal seeing that the other Olympic artists paintings start at $60,000. To view Jesse Raudales artwork visit JesseRaudales.com.
posted by Saharra White @ 10:34 PM
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