Today we’d like to introduce you to Leoangelo Reyes.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Leoangelo. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
So I guess I will start by saying I have my Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art from SDSU because I have loved and respected visual arts for as long as I could remember and I wanted to further my knowledge and skill. I am also responsible for getting the electrical box project started in Mira Mesa which kind spurred a bit of culture in our suburbs around 2010. It was a fun project, and I was able to get the aid from Mira Mesa community leaders, neighborhood artists, and the schools around to beautify our streets.

It was a largely positive experience, and I was happy to get some color in Mira Mesa especially during the drought. I moved away for a few years, and I was able to teach privately and do other neat projects. Fast-forward years later to now I am back, and I am slowly settling in with the hopes that I could do a lot more in my home town. I am passionate about three things: art, education, and community. I am teaching privately now and currently have some great regular students.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It was difficult at first to get my projects going and or funded even though I knew it was good for the community. I suppose the problem was that no one knew me before or no one took me seriously which is a common problem for anyone when they are young and ambitious. Luckily I kept on being involved in community events, I kept on practicing, and I met some great community leaders and teachers that believed in me and my goals.

Another problem that struck me is that after graduating, I looked for some work in local art studios and found that some studios paid so low for art teachers yet their rates for the students were so high. I remember looking at some of their methods, and I felt dismayed at the franchisee way that art instruction was being peddled at some of these studios. So that’s where my private teaching practice comes in.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
My business’ core is that I am an artist/teacher and I love/practice what I do and I believe that art can enhance an individual in many ways; I care about my client’s/student’s growth, and I travel through their artistic journey with them with sincerity, knowledge, and skill of my craft. I am not only an artist that teaches technique either, I have built up my pedagogy through years of experience teaching a variety of art (to a diverse bunch of students) such as painting, illustration, drawing, sculpture, and theory.

I was known as the guy who started the beautification project in Mira Mesa where I organized local artists to paint on electrical boxes, and I know some people still know me from my community involvement, but for now I hope to be known for my current works which thankfully allows me to practice my art and gain more clients. I teach drawing, painting, sculpture, illustration, public art, and theory. I am also an illustrator, and I host paint parties as well.

I gained a lot of experience teaching while I was away, but I just started my practice here in my hometown of San Diego. I am happy to have regular students that have chosen me as their personal art instructor, and I get energized from their curiosity and drive to build on their art skills. I won’t take credit for their hard work and their growth in understanding or skill, but I will be happy and proud of them!

What sets me apart from every other private art instructor is that If I don’t know it I won’t teach it and I especially won’t fake it from a franchise book from an overpriced franchise studio (not to say that there aren’t good studios out there). I am extremely passionate about teaching, and my students will gain more from my enthusiasm because I actually want to be there and I pay close attention.

I also teach all ages which separates me from preschools or small workshop studios because to me it’s about skill, not age. I specialize in creating individualized lessons depending on my student’s skill level and artistic direction. Everyone has their own methods of teaching, but I think mine which is centered on the individual’s goals are better for some. It’s up to the student to find the right fit for them when learning something as important as art.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I would have started my private practice earlier.

Pricing:

• $30.00 an hour for private lessons (2hours min to 3hours max.)
• Group Classes are $18.00 an hour
• I also do Paint Parties for 6 or more guests which avg. $15.00 per person

Contact Info:

• Website: www.leoangeloart.com
• Phone: (858)243-5461
• Email: leoangeloart@gmail.com
• Instagram: Leoangeloart
• Facebook: Miramesaart