Meet Jolece Rivera | Freelance Illustrator, Comic & Storyboard Artist

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

Hi Jolece, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m from upstate New York and both my parents are of Puerto Rican heritage. Growing up a Boricua in a majority white neighborhood and town I was looking for representation anywhere I could. So I looked to cartoons, movies and books. I loved animated movies and TV shows the most. So when I started drawing for myself I made sure to always represent people from all different kinds of backgrounds, and that was always the most exciting part of creating my art.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I would describe my work as fantasy, sapphic and full of nature. I love drawing fairies, wizards, witches, dragons, anything fantastical and magical! Growing up as a Sapphic Latina, I didn’t see much representation so when it came to my art I wanted to put a little of myself in a lot of my artworks. I also grew up watching a LOT of fantasy adventure movies. Pretty much all my pieces are inspired by this genre!

Initially I went to college for animation/storyboarding, however upon graduating I was met with a terrible job market with studios closing left and right and dozens of projects being canceled. I had to shift to other artistic pursuits. I am still trying to pursue them to this day but because of the change I feel like I’ve had to start all over again! Making a brand new portfolio is tough work. Currently I am trying to shift to freelance illustration and comics. More specifically I am pursuing making book covers, children’s books and/or graphic novels. While I strive towards this new goal, I’ve been doing art commissions for clients while also having a non-artistic side job. I can’t see myself pursuing anything not art-related as it’s something I’ve been working towards for years, I refuse to give up! Art is something deeply important to me and nothing beats the satisfaction of finally finishing a piece, attaching it to your portfolio and seeing all the nice reactions to it!

It hasn’t been an easy art journey, but I have yet to see anyone else say they’ve had it easy, which makes me feel a little less lonely. It’s hard work and my main advice to anyone who feels down about their art journey is to never back down and continue your pursuit for success. Practicing and studying is key to good artworks!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in upstate New York and about an hour from the city, so I would definitely plan a day trip to the city and visit the Oculus or a museum! If I wanted to plan something a little close to home, I would take them to the Storm King Art Center, and if it was fall we would go apple picking and visit my favorite farm for some food and cocktails. There’s also quite a few trails we could hike and take some pretty scenic pictures!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out to all my friends and family. I wouldn’t have been able to continue my art journey thus far without the encouragement I’ve received from the community around me. Whenever I’ve felt down about my art, it was always my friends that would pick me back up again. I also want to mention the amazing artists that have brought to life all of the Studio Ghibli movies. Studio Ghibli is what made me fall in love with animation and art in the first place. Without those movies I wouldn’t be able to become the artist I am today.

Website: https://jolecerivera.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairycloth_/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolecerivera

Twitter: https://x.com/fairycloth

Other: Commission form: https://forms.gle/QWQMdbqSRizqMonv8