Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesse de Leon.
So, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born and raised in Houston, and I have a beautiful family with three daughters. My interest in art started when I was really young, like when I helped out with painting banners for my school when I was 10. Shortly after that, I jumped around from school to school and went through some huge life changes. This definitely impacted my perspective, and gave me so much more depth in my understanding of life. That’s what inspired me to work hard and fight for my passions.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
From the beginning, it took some amazing school counselors to convince me that I was talented in art. My school didn’t have any art program, so I had no real affirmation other than that. As I got older, I realized that what I learned from making mistakes were best communicated through my art. This was how I told my story and inspired others. Then at twenty years old, I landed at Millennium Designs Inc. as warehouse manager, and jumped into a design project when we got over booked. That is when my manager noticed that I had potential to do space and creative drafting. This agency then flew me to D.C. for a week to work on a few murals for Taylor Morrison. This is when I first learned about the business behind it. The struggle has never been the art itself, but rather learning to make better decisions as I go through life.
Please tell us about DELEONARTZ.
I am an artist, more specifically a painter and muralist. I think I am most proud that my work has taken me to different places in the world and meet amazing people. I have been blessed enough to be in a place to donate my time and work. For instance, the first largest mural I worked on is in Vignette, Haiti, and it was 100% a gift to that community. The diversity of my style and the mediums that I specialize in is definitely what sets me apart. I am able to incorporate the client’s vision with my own spin, and I am most confident in this. Thankfully, I am not typecast into one style, and I see this as a huge strength!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory was sitting down with my adviser and her asking me for the first time to paint a banner for the school graduation. I remember being so young and yet I was the only one getting chosen to leave class, and this was such a special moment. They took me to the Texas Art Supply Store and gave me the freedom to pick out my supplies and then painted all day. That memory is so vivid, a project I won’t ever forget. And I got paid 70 bucks! It was definitely one of the most memorable moment in my childhood.
Contact Info:
- Website: deleonartz.com
- Email: info@deleonartz.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/de_leonartz
- Facebook: facebook.com/deleonartz
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