Meet Fish Chiesa | Structural Engineer/Artist/Musician/Game Developer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Fish Chiesa and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Fish, what inspires you?
I create in so many lanes, so my inspirations vary. Sometimes things in life fit into a song lyric, or a little colorful art piece, or a poem, or a bit of worldbuilding for the game I’m working on, or at the very least become some words or sketches in my “anything book.”

Art Inspirations:

I draw from life a lot these days. I have a sketchbook for only drawings from life, and I love how I can take it out and be “inspired” by anything in my line of site. My favorite is drawing musicians at live shows. It started as a way to create a tip towards their specific performance, but now it has evolved. I love taking in and recording local scenes. I love taking the tunes they play and letting the harmonies guide the line, the rhythm, the composition, the tone, etc… I find it hard not to reach for my sketchbook when I really dig the music- or when I know player. So long as I can draw and sway, I’ll doodle to the bops.

Lately I’ve been inspired by my career as a structural engineer to take my smaller urban sketches and upsize them. I’ve done a handful of 18×24 ink wash pieces of buildings, both completed and in construction. I’m stoked to make more drawings of construction sites from an engineer’s eye. I was definitely inspired by a painter in NYC named Gwyneth Leech, who had a story go up in AISC’s Modern Steel Magazine. I think its something I want to do more of in the future.

Generally inspiring things:

Solo travel,
Loving messages,
Headphoneless runs,
Collaborations with friends,
Meeting new people at regular spots.
Out-of-the rut moments amidst on-the-grind days,
Overcast, rainy, greyscale skies in the high desert,
People who have not studied or practiced creative things,
but have a joyous, brave and shameless demeanor,
and will try them out with me anyways,
Stories in film, stories in theater,
Stories in animation,
little gestures,
lil moments
of waiting,
breaths,
beats,
….
spontaneous poetry
etc etc etc

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Well. I’m an engineer by trade. I got my B.S. degree in Architectural Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and since graduating I’ve worked 40plus hours at a small structural firm doing calculations and creating building construction documents for houses and apartments- making sure the structures can withstand earthquakes. I love the field itself and seeing a building go up that I helped design is an amazing feeling. Engineering is a creative pursuit, but not really an artistic or expressive one.

Every lunch hour, I go to a cafe to work on creative projects. Its the best break from excel spreadsheets. Working in engineering, writing and performing music, developing a game, and creating ink brush art… can be difficult to balance with family, friends, and life obligations weighing in as well. I try to split up my art into “aisles” and have plans and routes for them so that whenever I have time to work on them, I have a road map and make progress. The lack of time has inspired my current love for ink brush art and drawing-from life. Its a type of art where the quicker strokes can mean just as much as the detailed textures that take hours to mark up.

I kind of champion the lifestyle where you work full time doing something not-art, and spend many many hours outside of work making art. Its a trade off for sure, and not always possible for those with big family obligations. It means less time to make art, but more freedom to do it any way I’d like -not just in ways that make an income. I feel fortunate for the engineering part of my life. I respect the artists that support themselves off art careers, but I celebrate the people who embrace the fear of expressing and sharing work even when you aren’t doing it for a living.

If any of you reading this are feeling like the only way to make ‘serious art’ is by working in an art career, I want to encourage you to look around at local displays, and give it a go! There are so many people that don’t draw, perform, write, or design for a living who can create some of the most meaningful lil pieces! It doesn’t have to be second rate just because it’s not exchanged for money. Get a sketch book, try sculpture, learn an instrument slowly. Embrace art in a human way. Kids create, construction workers create, and professional artists create. All are worthwhile!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh! Here’s some favs of mine in groups!

CAFES:
Republic of Pie, Stories, M Street Coffee, Barclays Coffee & Tea, Cafe Dulce, Coffee Commissary, stories

FOOD:
Masala House, Salsa and Beer, Thai on Ventura, Noodle Monster, Mr. Ramen, SuperWok, Portos

BARS:
Frogtown Brewery, Player One, Stowaway LA, Brews Brothers

OTHER FAVS:
Guitar Merchant, Olvera Street, Little Tokyo, The LA ZOO, Union Station, and so many of the trails just outside the city in the Angeles Forest

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
When I was a little kid I liked to draw. Like most kids. Like my brothers. Like my classmates. Like my mom who doodled horses and flowers while on the phone. My dedication to keep creating is so owed to others:

SHOUTOUT to my parents & brothers! My family and especially my mom was so vocally supportive of me spending time creating in a bunch of ways. My dad helped me start digital art and video/photo editing. My brothers play music with me.

SHOUTOUT to Uncle Joe and Christina! There were two artists in my extended family that inspired me to keep going with drawing. My Uncle Joe, who was a traditional animator at Bluth and more importantly would always be sketching from life in his makeshift clipboard/folder, and my cousin Christina, who had a cast of manga style original characters and would always be drawing on a clipboard/sketchbook.

Finally, I wouldn’t be creating so often if not for my friends, as well as the creators I meet at events and in town. Its addictive to dive into creative projects with others, you know? SHOUTOUT to all of the collaborators and enthusiastic art peeps out there. Especially my girlfriend Kendra who has been creating alongside me for a decade. Also my buds with whom I’ve been making so much music, art- and a whole gosh dang video game: Alex, Anton, Ryan, J, and Paul!

Website: I don’t have a personal art website. Here is the website for the game I’m making Gazelle in a Winter Coat: https://gazelleinawintercoat.com/

Instagram: @fishchiesa , @gazellegame

Image Credits
All images credit to Fish Chiesa