Angelina Villalobos Soto is a Latine muralist, painter, educator and illustrator in Seattle.
Seattle Refined: How long have you been creating? Do you work with different mediums?
Villalobos Soto: I have done art for as long as I can remember. I was really shy and introverted when I was young. My head was always in a book, and I was always trying to minimize the space I took up so no one would notice me. My gateway art was unicorns and rainbows and then I graduated to Ninja Turtles and X-men. When I was in high school, I discovered for myself Hip Hop and graffiti, and in this place, I found I could combine all my interests without judgment and become anonymous through a “street name,” which is where the 179 comes from. Angel179 was my superhero name that was chosen for me. Currently, my main tool is spray paint. I use it as a vehicle to get paint into difficult areas, which is a core mission of my work: painting spaces that are forgotten about or overlooked. If I’m not able to use spray paint, I use a mix of acrylic and latex paint for my murals. My design work I use a cocktail mix of Adobe programs to get a design from my screen into the real world. I try to embrace technology and stay up to date on things. I definitely don’t want to get left behind as the world evolves. I’m still very much shy and introverted, but at least now I have my art to share my thoughts.
Can you tell us about your artistic process and how the different stages work into it?
I think the most taken-for-granted part of the creative and artistic process is the inspiration. The misconception is we have flashes of epiphanies, and then boom, art is created in a frenzy of paint and fight clouds. But it’s actually like a plant. An idea starts out and is explored over time and is nurtured to grow. When it’s finished and you have a final painting, that typically isn’t the end of it. Parts of it appear in other works, and the idea evolves into something new. This is how I work, I’m always in the state of growing.
Tell us about where your inspiration for your art comes from?
What inspires my art the most is living in the Pacific Northwest. I pull color palettes from each of our seasons we experience, and I think it shows in my work very prevalently. Several of my recent projects celebrate elements of the PNW and I love any chance to sneak in a mountain range or native flora and fauna. I’ve also found that I’m the happiest when I am surrounded by a large body of water (specifically the Pacific Ocean), and I need trees and flowers to feel the vibrancy of life. I’ve had the privilege to travel because of my art and witnessed some very exquisite places, but I definitely get homesick if I’m gone too long. I think of all the things that I’ve experienced in life, living in the PNW is grounding and it helps center me in the chaos of whatever happens.
Do you have a specific “beat” you like best – nature, food, profiles, etc.?
Like many artists before me, I’m all over the place. Since I pull inspiration from life, I need to actually LIVE life. Therefore, I embrace all kinds of things that spark joy — food, travel, spending time with loved ones. I think what I do that’s probably unique is I really love spending time with myself. One of my favorite pastimes in doing this is nature walks through parks, botanical gardens, beaches, etc. The Bellevue Botanical Garden is my dream space, and I get so much inspiration from my walks. There, I take the time to explore new music through passive listening or audio books.
Do you have one piece of art that means more to you, or is extremely special to you?
I have a hummingbird I painted on 3rd and Pike, right across the street at Walgreens. It was painted through a grant from the Downtown Seattle Association and was curated by my fellow artist and friend Sneke. The hummingbird is special to me because, like me, it is tiny, but you can’t help but stop and witness the beauty it brings to the neighborhood. I titled the mural “Gloria,” after my mother, who, when I was young, was lost to the area for several years due to experiencing homelessness and substance use disorder. Gloria was the name she went by, and when I was a teenager, I would go visit her there. I remember her being so proud of me and introducing me to all her friends as “the artist.” Now, coming back as an officially titled artist, I wanted to paint something that honored her and the people who frequent the area with compassion and kindness. Decades later, our city still struggles with citizens experiencing homelessness and substance abuse disorders, and I wanted a reminder to the city and people of their humanity. Policies and laws must always have compassion built into them, and I wanted to use my personal history to make that statement.
What experiences in your life have affected your art the most?
This one is difficult for me. I don’t think I have one moment. I think of myself as a textile woven of many different experiences, and together, they create me. I think there are milestones I’ve come to that project me and times where I’m either coasting or taking a rest, and those are just as important. My Meta Open Arts Mural definitely projected me forward in my career. I was encouraged to explore my creativity and process. The mural is abstract and joyful. I added 3-dimensional elements to the mural to assist with movement. I was able to hire my little sister Claudia, who is also an artist, to help me install the mural. This was the first time I really felt like I had transitioned from a part-time to a full-time artist, and it gave me the courage to really make that transition professionally.
If we want to see more of your work, where should we go to find it?
I have murals all over the city in some really exquisite places. There’s the Goldfish Mural in glorious White Center right on the corner of 16th and Roxbury. I have a super fun interactive mural on Capitol Hill in partnership with Timberlane Partners of a mother orca and her calf swimming in the colorful depths of the Pacific Ocean. Here, you may scan the plaque that accompanies the mural to listen to a meditation specifically composed for the mural. It’s a real treat to interact with murals in this way! My largest mural to date lives in Burien on DESC’s newest building, Bloomside. At 1,800 square feet, you can’t miss her!
What is next for you? Anything you’re working on right now that you’re really excited about?
Currently, I’m at the Amazon Understory as their resident artist. The art space is underneath The Spheres. I’m working on two large paintings and using the space as my art studio. It’s really wonderful because I spend so much time outside on mural sites that I don’t always have the time to experiment or take a pause to really appreciate the work I’m doing. I love painting murals and painting in large format so this is really a treat. I’m there Wedesdays and Fridays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. until the end of June if anyone wants to come by and see me work.
Lastly, how do you take your coffee? (We ask everyone!)
I love this question! I take my coffee with chocolate almond milk early in the morning, with a special cup picked daily to set the mood while I check my emails.
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