Meet Mark Acetelli | Artist

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

Hi Mark, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
I feel you must have a high amount of discipline, focus, and passion for what you are doing or creating. Keep the main thing the main thing. I like getting up early and doing yoga, meditation, and going for long walks. Creating a space where there is solitude, to let the ideas come into view in my mind’s eye. Having a consistent routine is so important. Creating a list first thing in the morning also helps me get the day going. If I’m feeling overwhelmed I write it down and it helps put things in perspective.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve been painting for 23 years, and when I start a new painting, it’s like I’ve never done it before. It seems daunting at first, then after a while, the painting starts to take shape and the emotion and my intention becomes a tangible physical piece of work. This is the approach that has given me the perseverance and the passion to get up and do this every day. It’s never boring and I always feel challenged to evolve and to try different things, to go a little deeper to stray outside the comfort zone, that’s where the magic happens. I think people who collect my work and are drawn to it get a sense of it’s authenticity, that it’s real, that there is something that resides much deeper underneath the surface.

Part of being a successful artist means also showing up when you have nothing to say when you are uninspired when the studio is 100 degrees in the dead of summer. You must show up, the muses come around when they find you working.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It would be a day of seeing art and experiencing the rich culture LA has to offer. I would start downtown and check out the Basquiat “King Pleasure” exhibit, then hit Moca and The Broad museums. Grab some pizza at Bianco Pizzaria at the Row. Stop by the iconic Bendix Building where there are amazing galleries and artist studios including my own. Then work our way to the west side and stop by Bergamot Station and see more art. Then hit the beach and take in some sites and go north towards Malibu and have dinner at The Reel Inn, hands down the freshest fish around.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My wife Lucia is my rock and partner in all that I do. I bounce pretty much everything off of her and I value her ability to help me see things in a different light, she is priceless. My two daughters Antonia and Frankie, are my world, and being their father gives me a perspective and resilience to be the best person I can be.

Website: www.markacetelli.com

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.acetelli/

Image Credits
All pictures taken by Mark Acetelli, “me”