L.A. visual artist John Sonsini motivates art students

LA based visual artist John Sonsini talked about his experience and journey in the art world and what it means to be an artist today.

Sonsini talked about how he came to find his artistic muse, hispanic laborers and how his pieces are now showcased in many museums and art galleries all throughout California and other states.

Students, professors and aspiring artists attended the lecture to learn about what is needed to be a successful artist.

The visual artist talked about the tough times before he was showcased anywhere. 

“I couldn’t hold a job, I did everything, sleep in my car, anything but get a job,” Sonsini said.

“When you find your muse, you’ll know and you’ll never get tired of it, it’s like digging around a pebble and finding a pyramid, you’ll never stop digging.”

Art major and Long Beach City College student Ashely Greene asked Sonsini, “How much time do you spend in your studio and how much time do you spend painting?”

Sonsini responded, “Before I could paint everyday for hours a day, but today I can’t do that to myself now, I’ll only work a couple days a week.”

Sonsini told the audience how different it is today to be an artist today compared to 30 years ago.

“Before there were only a few galleries and you knew the artists, now there’s just so many galleries in LA,” the artist shared.

Cal State Los Angeles art student Andy Lopez attended the event with LBCC student and english major Elizabeth Barraza.

“It’s nice to hear artists encourage young student artists and not try to scare them away from creating their own art,” Lopez expressed. 

“When I heard him talk about art, I applied it to my writing and how some will like it and some won’t, but that shouldn’t stop me,” Barraza shared. 

“We paint today, we paint in our time, but we don’t paint for our time,” Sonsini reminded the artists in the audience.

The LA visual artist finished the lecture with words of encouragement. 

“If you can control your ego you can do this, just stick with it and you’ll have a blast,” Sonsini said.

John Sonsini’s lecture is a part of a series where visiting artists give lectures to students on campus. The event was hosted and organized by the LBCC’s visual and media arts department.