Meet Joe Nicoletti | Artist/Contractor/Producer

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

Hi Joe, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Ill give you the short story, I felt that I always had a knack for creating “inviting”. spaces. Inviting to me meant creating and installing many layers of plant life, surfaces, textures, colour, fabrics, art and so on in any given space, To define and redefine a space, To interpret a clients stylistic desires, both interior and exterior. To create a open or meandering space with vignettes, places to go and be surrounded by plant life, paintings, maybe a grotto, maybe a a mural, a lounge area, a full service bar, a place to decompress… It is a very liberating mindset to make these types of suggestions to a client and produce it. I felt that sharing this natural vision with people who believed I could get the job done would enable me to work with my hands, think with my heart and create something to show for it that I know would be enjoyed by many. Satisfying. …And I would get paid for it! It has been a gratifying creative journey because the being creative lends itself to producing many different types of art. Im always busy!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
-Wow, These are loaded questions… Heres the short story, About my art, Henry David Thoreau said it best, ” It is something to paint a particular picture or to carve a certain statue and so to make a few objects beautiful, but it far more glorious to carve and paint out the very atmosphere and the medium through which we look, which morally we can do. To affect to quality of ones day, that the hight of the arts” So I have always interpreted that to “Be Art”, “Live Art”, “Make Art”, “Art is life”.., incorporate all aspects of creating art into any space. That also includes intoxicating scents, music, colour. Art stops at nothing. But add that all up, put it into a space, create that visual, add the feeling, get paid for it and move on is wonderful way to live a daily life. -Having this attitude does set me apart from others.
– I am most excited about my next project… which I am not sure about at the moment.
-I got here professionally after 3 decades of creating art by, doing what I said I would do, showing up, giving other people oppurtunity, creating teams, taking responsibility, listening to others, making work fun, always incorporating food and music into projects!
-I wouldn’t say it was easy, healthy or convenient. Creating sculptures, restoring churches and so on involves very high ladders, toxic materals, many tools, many power tools, I did protect my self as best as possible, took many a bump along the way… But Im still here! Goin to play paddle tennis in an hr….!
– The lessons were just that, lessons, all very telling of my intentions. Every time I set an intention for the project, I vowed to exceed my clients expectation’s, and my own. All Lessons were not that all satisfying, but all equally as important, some clients were not appreciative, some never satisfied some were overwhelmed with joy. We have had songs written about me, tips in cash, gold watches and plane tickets all to show appreciation. The main lesson for me was to do the best I can with every project and every project situation. Not to beat myself up. Also Ive learned, with producing art, weather its painting, sculpture or exterior design, it takes a certain amount of anxiety to produce something great and thats OK!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
hmm, This just happened last weekend. ( it always happens) a best friend has been touring the world for 3 years straight with his daughters having one epic excursion after the next. Just so adventurous. For instance, one example was where they were motorcycle racing on the salt flats for 3 days straight in Bolivia. Over the top Amazing stuff. They gave me a heads up they would be in town and we made plans to meet and stay with me for a the weekend. When they arrived, We kicked off the weekend with cooking each other dinner. I hosted a wonderful multi course meal in my backyard sanctuary. We baked, smoked, seared, cooked on an open flame and air fried. We all had some real fun cooking together and the courses turned out delicious. We also enjoyed the 16×9 foot 4k theatre with surround sound and we all just glamped around that first night. I also use this space to invite future clients over and entertain. I call these rooms “Al Fresco” rooms, where I incorporate all kinds of nature, create privacy, add a full blow kitchen and theatre, add smart technology, throw in a fire pit and jacuzziI, a telescope, smart turf and bean bags all lit up with twinkly lights. I believe this is in part “our new normal” especially with our weather, entertaining outdoors is key. Your home is your castle. Home is where the heart is, Covid made this more apparent. Sometimes it pays to stay home and reinvent your outdoor space. Again its that carving out that outdoor space that makes you feel like your living and entertaining “in” a work of art. We glamped the night away in tents by the fires with pets till the wee hrs tellin stories. We awoke to the wonderful smell of an outdoor coffee machine a flock of seagulls and morning doves. I have a fleet of electric bikes, we each jumped on one and off to the marina we went paddle boarding. Wound up at fig trees in Venice for a delicious lunch, shopped on Abbott Kinney, spent the day in the sun all while on the bikes that had their own boom boxes on them. We ended up at the legendary Dan Tanas for an incredible dinner, countless laughs and a night capper at the Magic Castle. Sunday morning was volley ball for the girls and Claude and I played paddle tennis at the Venice courts on the beach. Had lunch at Cora’s, and made it in time for VELP. (Venice Electric Bike Parade). Headed by Marcus, About 70 of us who electrify their bikes bide up and down the bike path and through the streets of Venice. They do this every Sunday at Sundown. All these spots are among my favs!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have a long list of clients and supporters… Here ya go to name a few. My Mom Angela, Los Angeles City Hall, The Biltmore Hotel, Rod Stewart, Dr Dre, Jim Carey, Tom Safran, Carla Hall, Sting, The School of Visual Arts, The Wynn family, Phil Collins, Vidiots to name a few.

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Website: www.paintworks.us

Instagram: chameleonpaintworksinc

Linkedin: Joe Nicoletti

Facebook: chameleon Paintworks Inc

Other: Im not that much a social media person… Im rarely behind a computer… I could use help in that dept. I have tons and tons of content….