~MEET THE ARTIST~
WHO IS PAUL JOSEPH?
THE COLOR WIZARD
Born and raised in East Austin, Paul is truly a local gem; a rare breed in the midst of so much growth in the Austin area. At the age of 24, Paul made the decision to go sober and step out of the self-destructive path he was on. He began running as a way to cope with the feelings that were no longer being numbed by substances. Running on the trail around Lady Bird Lake, the trail he grew up on, is still one of his favorite things to do. At the age of 27, he began to draw and play around with creating different characters. Now, art has become another healthy way to cope with life and move through the motions, a way to unlock this creative flow within him. His preferred medium is colored pencils, and he creates magic with color.
During the week, Paul works alongside his father, Steve “Glass Man” Guerra, replacing windshields and fixing rock chips. Paul is adamant that no matter what happens, he will always make time to help out at the shop and get dirty. He finds much fulfillment in working with his hands and going home tired from a job well done. There is also a community of Old School Chicanos and Tejanos that he works with that creates an atmosphere of culture and family at the shop that is irreplaceable.
“It is incredible to see my art evolve, the more I create. With every piece that I work on, I feel as though I am coloring in pieces of my soul. Sometimes I feel as though I am not the one in control of what my hand is doing, it is almost as if there is this inexplicable magical force using me as a vehicle to create every part of my pieces. It can be overwhelming at times, but I am so proud of what I have made and can’t wait to see what flows out next!”
Paul has made the majority of his pieces in his home studio. Having a home-based studio is ideal for him, since he finds that his best creating comes in the early morning hours; he rolls out of bed around 4 am and plugs into his art, letting his magic flow out.
Paul also has a studio on South Congress, right in the heart of Austin. Working in this studio allows him to feel connected to the city that raised him and the community that nurtured him.
MEANING BEHIND THE LOGO
The logo was created by using a picture of the most essential tool, Paul’s hand. XI became Paul’s signature in every character created; Instead of drawing up identical pupils, every character has an XI in their place. The XI is also the roman numeral for the number 11, which holds power as a “master number” and is known to represent inner strength in times of trial and coping through crisis and chaos.
Go back and look into each character’s eyes, notice how the XI is present in each piece!