Peter V. Bellanza
Where do you live: Queens, New York.
Your education:
Christ the King Regional High School Class 2006.
Nassau Community College 2007-2010.
Describe your art in three words: Imagination and Creativity.
Can you tell us more about your journey as an artist? How did your early experiences, like winning the St. Helen gold medal, shape your artistic career?
My journey began with my love for the arts ever since I was a young boy I was always very good at drawing in grammar school. And after winning the medal for excellence achievement in art at my graduation in 2002 made it my passion to continue on from their. Eventually taking up art classes in high school for three years. And then eventually turning it into a business in the spring of 2018 and have been successful ever since.
Your medium of choice, alcohol marker brush and sharpie, gives your work a distinct aesthetic. What drew you to this medium, and how do you use it to express your ideas?
After creating my work with black and white pencils I decided to move on to color, while shopping in Michael’s Arts and Crafts store I was drawn to the marker section. I always liked using markers but I realized their was something distinct about the alcoholic marker. By chance I took a few of them home and decided to give it a try. The ideas I express with them depends on the subject I’m working on when I create the topic on canvas. For example I’ve done many paintings of the seven dwarfs but in I describe them as the seven little men in all of them. And as I describe them to the viewer/customer they are like the seven deadly sins the human being possess. And it is up for the viewer to decide which one represents which sin as they appear in the painting. I use many different topics when I create a caricature of a person, place, or thing in most of my art.
Peter V. Bellanza | Brownstones in Autumn
Many of your artworks are inspired by New York City and its people. How do you decide which moments or scenes to capture?
It depends upon where I’ am in either one of the five boroughs during the time of the day. I could be in a particular place in any one of them. I see something interesting something I have not seen before I would snap a photo of it. And would use it as a reference to create my next/new topic that I want to share and market. During covid this was one of my benefactors where I would be walking around masked up and see how my everyday New Yorkers would react to a world they are having a hard time to adjust to. One of my paintings depicts that and the people whom I meet have interesting stories to share. And I feel they are sharing it with me when I create them on my canvases.
Your work has been described as a blend of Andy Warhol and Edward Hopper. Do you feel influenced by these artists, or is there another artist who inspires your style?
Yes I was always a strong admirer of both Warhol and Hopper and another artist who is a big influence is the late great Bob Ross. I would watch his show the Joy of Painting and would watch him for hours as he would create what he would call “his world” on his canvas. Some of my landscape ideas come from his inspiration as well.
Peter V. Bellanza | Lighthouse in Maine
Can you walk us through your creative process, from initial idea to the finished piece?
When I have my subject all thought out whether it be landscape, portrait, or cartoon I begin the process with the outline with the sharpie. The sharpie is the first tool to hit the canvas and once the outline is completed with the sharpie I paint it all in with the alcohol marker. And once the painting is completed the sharpie puts the finishing touches on it. So all in all the sharpie is the first and the last tool I use to begin and complete my work.
Working in the entertainment industry seems to have played a role in your decision to pursue art professionally. How has your past career influenced your artistic style?
My past career had nothing to do with my artistic style little did I know that my artistic style was in my future I didn’t see it until I started it and I’m glad it has all worked out really well for me.
Peter V. Bellanza | Night Life
What has been the most rewarding part of exhibiting your art in galleries across New York City and Long Island?
Its an opportunity to get my work out to the general public more and more and an opportunity for me to meet and greet the viewers, sell them the paintings if they like what they are seeing in front of them, and exchange my information with them if they would like to purchase off of me at a later occasion. Especially for when the next gallery that I partake in whenever that takes place.
Peter V. Bellanza | The Iwo Jima
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