Meet Louie Izzo | Artist & Yoga Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Louie Izzo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Louie, why did you pursue a creative career?
I can thank the encouragement of my close friends for helping me have the faith to purse my art as a career. In my early 20s, living in New York I would share my drawing with my a few close friends, all of which are visual artists as well. They saw something in those little sketches, some potential and spoke over me, encouraging me too keep going, keep pushing into this talent I had, ever since then I have made art every single day and continued to share it with more and more people.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a fine artists working in traditional mediums like graphite, charcoal and oil paint. My work is primarily focused on portraiture and imaginative landscapes to use as symbolic representations of spiritual experiences Iv had throughout of my life. The concepts I explore in my work are a reflection of my lifelong passion for mysticism, religion and theology. On a practical note, my artistic path is not much different than anyone seeking to develop a hard learned skill, its characterized by countless hours of effort, alone, invisible to most, riddled with failure and tiny triumphs pining away in my studio. The primary lesson that I continue to learn again and again is just stay on the path! Commit to the long game, day after day, year after year if I keep working, showing up to my practice no matter and sharing that journey with others growth is inevitable.

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.
Growing up here in San Diego I have explored every nook and cranny of this city. A few of my favorite places are little cafes throughout the city where I do a lot of drawing, journaling or business, like Moniker in Liberty Station or Palmys in Pacific Beach, As far as getting out in nature I often paint outdoors on Plein Air at Sunset cliffs of Torrey Pine Glider Port for a hike down to the ocean.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost I owe a debt of gratitude to my mother and father, who’s encouragement and support have been steadfast and unwavering my whole life. Also too my dearest friend Caren Chroma, who played a pivotal part in helping me believe in myself and have the confidence to share my gifts. Thank you too Alex and Allyson Grey for their friendship and for being a shining example of creative commitment and success. There have been many important books that have helped set me up for a creative education and career, like Mastery by George Lenard, The Art Spirit by Robert Henri and The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

Website: https://www.louieizzo.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louieizzo.art/