Ricardo Roig - Cultivating Masterpieces

When the colors of a painter's palette blend with the hues of life's rich tapestry, remarkable stories emerge. Join us as we step into the studio of Ricardo Royg, a maestro of the art world known for his hand-cut paper stencil screen-printing prowess. In a candid heart-to-heart, Ricardo unveils the emotional landscape that accompanies the creation and parting of his artwork, revealing the pieces that he holds too dear to ever let go. He narrates the symbiotic relationship between artists and collectors, likening it to a shared odyssey where every brushstroke marks a mile on an infinite road.

Navigating the intertwined paths of art and enterprise, we discover that organization is the unsung hero behind many a masterpiece. Whether it's a late-night lightning bolt of inspiration or a meticulously planned project, Ricardo and I discuss the importance of capturing those fleeting moments and cultivating them into tangible expressions. This conversation meanders through the gardens of personal passions and professional pursuits, affirming the joy and fulfillment that come from engaging every facet of one's being in their work. The harmony of business acumen and creative instinct plays a symphony that echoes throughout our discussion.

Our journey culminates with a reflection on the compass that guides us – our values. As we hike alongside Ricardo, we uncover the profound impact of authenticity, both in the art we create and the life we lead. We delve into the career-defining choices that have shaped Ricardo's path, from pivotal partnerships to the bold leap into full-time artistry. Through stories laced with personal growth and the pursuit of integrity, we affirm the transformative power of art. Tune in for an exploration that transcends the canvas and inspires the heart of every creator and admirer.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Okay, Ricardo Royg, are you okay with being recorded on a podcast?

Speaker 2: 0:07

Sure, yeah, gotta get out of your comfort zone if you want to grow.

Speaker 1: 0:12

So, ricardo Royg, I know you as a very famous creative person, personality, you are an artist, you are prolific your art is all over the place and I want to learn from you and I want to hear about your successful journey.

Speaker 2: 0:30

Oh, thank you so much. Well, likewise, I'd love to hear about yours, and thanks for the opportunity to be here on this hike podcast, you know. First of a cut.

Speaker 1: 0:40

It's going to be a fun adventure, especially as we.

Speaker 2: 0:42

It's a moving.

Speaker 1: 0:43

Well, hopefully you don't get too out of breath. This is not a very difficult trail.

Speaker 2: 0:48

No, no, this is good. I needed this, and what a beautiful day for it. I mean, it is Scorpio season, the colors are bursting, and getting to meet you for the first time here is fantastic.

Speaker 1: 1:02

Well, you know secretly, the main reason why I'm taking you on this hike is I want you to get so much inspiration from beauty. Basically you're backyard these fall-autumn colors the sights, the sounds, the smells, yeah Right, it is just so inspiring and I would love if I could be part of that inspiration.

Speaker 2: 1:23

Oh, totally, oh for sure. Now this is going. If I didn't have lunch with some collectors after this, I'd run right to the studio. So I'll get the lunch and then go to the studio.

Speaker 1: 1:35

So I do want to hear about the world of being an artist and a creative and the whole collectors thing, right? So someone like me who's been a corporate professional and entrepreneur small business, large business, collectors aren't really a thing that comes around, so you know. Oh yeah, that's an interesting concept to me and we'll hit this point. Then we'll go back to who you really are, where you came from.

Speaker 2: 1:59

Well, I guess in your world you would call them like shareholders, yeah, Shareholders. Well, think about it. You're buying into the. When you have a piece of my work, you're literally buying a piece of my art and my journey and whatever transforms from it. So in your world, you guys buy into stocks For me, collectors buy into my art. I guess that's, I don't know. I'm all about terrible metaphors. So that's number one. Where's the clicker? You know, like gee, like? There's number one terrible metaphor, I don't know.

Speaker 1: 2:36

Well, no, I just have to.

Speaker 2: 2:37

It's how I make sense of the world is through relationships and you know, it's just how I kind of cope.

Speaker 1: 2:43

Well, you and I can relate on terrible metaphors, because I make horrible metaphors all the time. I make references to baseball and football.

Speaker 2: 2:51

Oh, yeah, are you a baseball football guy? No, me neither, and I do the same thing. Oh God, it's universally known. It's going to be a long hike.

Speaker 1: 2:59

So when you are selling a piece of your art, do you feel that it is a piece of you?

Speaker 2: 3:05

It is yeah, for sure.

Speaker 1: 3:07

Yeah, oh yeah. Are you emotionally attached to all of that?

Speaker 2: 3:09

art, everything, all of it, man.

Speaker 1: 3:12

And what does that feel like when someone buys your art?

Speaker 2: 3:15

Oh, it's thrilling, uplifting. It's so fulfilling to be valued and to know that through what you can create, other people get a joy and happiness. And I could go on and on about it, but I don't want you to ask one question and me talk for two hours, so I'll stop there, listen this is a conversation, right, I am very inspired by you, not a speech.

Speaker 1: 3:39

There are these questions that I've just always wondered, and now I get to ask them with all our guests, which is rewarding for me. But do you ever feel sadness when you sell a piece of your art, like something of yours is now gone?

Speaker 2: 3:52

No, never. You just don't sell those pieces. If something's going to bring you sadness to let go of it, you just don't let go of it. You know there's other works to sell and works to keep, Do you?

Speaker 1: 4:00

have any pieces that you just won't sell.

Speaker 2: 4:02

Oh, of course, yeah. So basically, like I mean, you'll probably ask, like, how I make my art.

Speaker 1: 4:09

Oh yeah.

Speaker 2: 4:10

I'm going there, but the art that I've developed is a hand cut paper, stencil, screen print. So essentially you're cutting out with an X-Acto knife like a really sharp scalpel or pen knife or blade. You got to point them in the direction because I don't know where we're going.

Speaker 1: 4:27

Don't worry, I won't.

Speaker 2: 4:29

Thanks for driving me here by the way, like literally coming to my driveway and having me follow you because otherwise I will still be trying to find it.

Speaker 1: 4:38

I will not let you slip down this mountain, don't worry. Well, thanks. Well, if you do, we've got a couple of people like that.

Speaker 2: 4:43

Yeah, for sure, who may or may not be here, guys, but basically, and you have your like total, like outdoor car that's ready to rock and drive over, like you know, trees.

Speaker 1: 4:57

I can definitely rock and drive All right. So back to the artwork.

Speaker 2: 5:01

Yeah, so I hand cut a stencil right which is essentially a piece of paper with a bunch of holes out of it, and all those holes represent where I want a certain color to go, you know green, blue, whatever, but it's just one color right. And then I cut that stencil and I put it over a screen and then I push ink through the screen and through the stencil, oh, like a silk screen. Essentially Correct, but silk screening, uses Photoshop, uses computers, uses photography and burns it into the screen. I'm literally like a caveman, just cutting everything with a knife right, so it really is. That sets separates me. So I cut everything out with a knife out of paper, I pass the ink on that and after about 20 passes, after you get about 20 passes, you make an addition of 20 prints, right, so they're all unique, one of a kind, and then you layer the next color and the next color and the next color and by the end you may get 16 or 15 good ones, because the others kind of fell apart in the process. But the reason you asked me like, do I ever feel sadness of letting go of something? And I wouldn't, because what my wife does is she keeps one or two of each addition. So I have like 21 flat files of my own work. I have over 3,000 of original works that I've kept Well, my wife's kept for the kids and for her, and you know what I mean and so you could sell out of. You know an addition, but you still have one or two of them.

Speaker 1: 6:41

If that makes sense to you.

Speaker 2: 6:43

So the oil paintings that I've made are truly one of a kind, and those are in the house. You know, those are hanging on the walls, like I have in. Oh, now we're hiking.

Speaker 1: 6:54

Okay, this is awesome. This is not a cakewalk, this is awesome. Let me just fix your mic.

Speaker 2: 6:59

No, this is great, but but yeah, so, so, anyways, but that's how I. That's to avoid that factor of like you don't let go of everything because you still have one or two. You know what I mean. And then, yeah, but that's it. I don't mass produce anything. Everything's original. And then you know, next generation, sure, I'd love for my kids to you know, capitalize on having all this original in the copyright and be able to take the art to that next level.

Speaker 1: 7:31

But we'll make sure you put that in your will. Yeah, no, I'm creating the whole trust and everything.

Speaker 2: 7:35

Yeah, right now it's just original, because that's the, that's the special part of life, right, the rarity, and you got to keep to that. That's right so anyways, so that's my answer.

Speaker 1: 7:48

So you have these like it's in the process, right.

Speaker 2: 7:50

Like you know, like within the process, you don't add that and I don't know, sorry, so you have these 3000 pieces of art that essentially are an extension of you.

Speaker 1: 8:03

Is that the right way?

Speaker 2: 8:03

Oh, for sure, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 8:05

And you feel like each one of these are your baby.

Speaker 2: 8:08

That's just what I have for myself, if that makes sense to you.

Speaker 1: 8:11

You have more than that, wow. So how long have you been creating art?

Speaker 2: 8:14

20, so they're each. So I just expect to that, like they're an addition, right. So there's 20 of. It's kind of hard to do, I guess on a hike I'm a visual guy to like draw your picture I guess, but but it's like so no, there's lots more art than that. That's just like what, what, what we're, you know, keeping in the, in the collection and grow. Those are like unique image images. If that makes sense, got it. So when did you get the?

Speaker 1: 8:38

sense that you, what really? When did you get the sense that you were on to something that you have? You had to get a stance.

Speaker 2: 8:45

My first stencil is in 2006. I had transferred into Cain University after going to an art school and a liberal arts school and I didn't graduate college yet, moved back home, was able to enroll at Cain through a tuition waiver program through unemployment if you have like 30 previous college credits, the government will pay you to finish school if you get a job that's in demand. So I was able to finish school for free and Cain accepted me for one year because I have to go there for one year and when I was transferring in my the counselor was Debbie Skibitzky, the old mayor of Westfield's wife oh, yeah, and she looked at my portfolio of work and said, wow, you have accomplished portfolio. You went to these art schools. You've been in school for a really long time. You need to graduate. You should try something and get out of your comfort zone. And I was like, well, what should I do? And she said, well, I'm looking at your portfolio and you haven't taken screen printing. And I was like you're just amazing, because not many people especially you know if it's not like art-centered would understand the difference between a lithograph and etching a print. You know what I mean screen. So she offered that I should take screen printing. So I enrolled the teacher for the first day was like cut shapes out of paper and I was like I love this, oh my god, and I love this story. I love this hand-cutting and the teacher, joe Zapotowski, who I'm seeing Thursday, actually at Cain University, because they invited him to be artist in residence after 17 years of ago when I discovered, you know, that art could be made this way. And Joe, as a professor, was like, look, that's just like the intro. Like when you learn math, you get like a stick of like ten cubes, and that means ten and so when you go to pay your check, as an adult, you don't like pull out the cubes, you're like hold on a second, let me get the percentage of this. Like you just learn it. So the hand-cutting was just to understand layering and that's, in all aspects, right. And I was like, no, no, I love this and he goes. Well, you got something there, why don't you just run with it? And he let me not learn the other aspects of print make, of screen printing, and I just focused on that. So it was when I cut my first stencil. I truly fell in love at that time. I also fell in love with my wife, now girlfriend then. So love was just like all abound and you know, you know when you know, and I just like dove in wholeheartedly it in both the love of my life and the love of my art, and you know, as an oil painter. As a painter, I was always struggling with where to put the paint, how to tame that animal, but with screen printing and hand-cutting I can compartmentalize the piece. I can actually show you what's going on in my head. I can more clearly describe how I see the world in all shapes and colors, like right now, and then I can express that. And it was so much of a clear, so much of a better vision for me, and so I just ran with it. And now, 17 years later, they actually invited me to be artists in residence. I created a 44-foot mural. My art has developed into hand-cut stencil murals, so not just hand-cut stencil attached to the screen, but now I hand-cut stencil on a wall and I use spray paint and overlap the spray paint to create the mixed colors.

Speaker 1: 12:19

Yeah, I've seen your murals.

Speaker 2: 12:20

They are, they are beautiful they are so much, thank you.

Speaker 1: 12:24

I love making them. Let me just pause for a second. I want to go back to something that's so important and critical in your life. Okay, mayor scabitsky's wife what was her name, I believe is Debbie scabitsky. Debbie scabitsky, she gave you an idea and you ran with it a challenge.

Speaker 2: 12:42

She said try something you've never taken before. Get out of your comfort zone. Yeah right, she gave you a direction.

Speaker 1: 12:48

She pointed you in that direction yeah and then the day you showed up and I listened so the important theme is the fact that it is sometimes wise to listen to the advice of others. Now it's okay to question the when it's expert advice.

Speaker 2: 13:02

I mean, she's a counselor, wasn't like somebody on the street, like that's what she does for a living.

Speaker 1: 13:06

You know, and true, you know so here's the thing, though, is you and I share a very similar story, and I know many of the listeners share this story as well. I was told by my brother that I should go into telecommunications before I went to community college. Right, I was graduating high school. I had no idea what telecommunications was, but his advice to me is I love math, I like science, I like breaking things, take them apart, putting them back together working with my hands and this is a new and exciting field and career. So what did I do? I listened to him. So I enrolled in telecommunications classes. Within the first five minutes of sitting in my first class in college it was an electronics one class the professor said he put down what's called a breadboard in front of us okay you put electrical components for testing. He put it down and had some circuitry on it, so resistors etc. And he said follow the path of the electrons from the voltage source until the ground and that. With that sentence I'm looking at this and that's when I said I love this wow right, and that advice from my brother listening to my brother's advice in your case, debbie Skibisky's advice, the advice of others that care about you that put us both on the paths where we are oh, yeah, yeah, I think the signs are all around, but it's up to you.

Speaker 2: 14:27

Like no one can force you to do anything. It has to be your willpower. Like you have to look for the signs, whether it's like a penny on the floor, a feather, you know, 111 1 1, 1, 2, 3. Like 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3. Like you ask yourself, like is this really what I should do? And then you look up at a stop sign and a garbage truck comes by and it's like, yes, you should do it you know, like, like written on the side. You know, it's like like I was talking to a collector last night and his daughter was gonna go to Brown and for some reason he didn't want to go to Brown, but he didn't really want to say that.

Speaker 1: 15:01

And she started yelling.

Speaker 2: 15:03

Well, I don't know, I don't think he was, but is that it? They're?

Speaker 1: 15:06

the opposite I'm like. So the daughter was like called him up.

Speaker 2: 15:15

He's at a red light. She's like yeah, dad, I think I'm really good wanting to go to Amherst. He looks up the bus next to him, says Amherst it's like that type of, that type of synchronicities of things when they happen more rapidly. The signs are there. So like I guess that started it right, like you chose that path, you listen to him and then it kind of like probably has just unrolled, unraveled more of your life, right, like on that path right.

Speaker 1: 15:44

Being in tune with signs is wild how I live my life that's all I do, that's it.

Speaker 2: 15:52

I just follow the signs and then you're like, hey, let's go hiking in the woods. And I'm like, oh, my god, that's amazing. You know it's like, let's do it.

Speaker 1: 16:01

You know, like, like, I want to do this point because it's so critical, being open and willing to listen to the advice of others. Again, you can question if you think? Something is bad advice, but what is coming from a good place, just being willing to listen and being in tune to the signs, whether it's whether it's nature, or just being being just completely available. Yeah, take in your sights, your sounds, your scenery because, like you just said, the bus drove by. Oh my god yeah, this is inspiration right here oh right, here you kidding me.

Speaker 2: 16:35

I mean, and that's it. Like if, if you want to receive, you got to be ready. Your hands have to be empty. You can't like, have 50 bags and want more. No one's gonna give you more because you've nowhere to carry you have to be so you have to be available, which means like you have to cut out distraction, you have to focus, you have to audit your life, you have to make the hard choices. You know what I mean. You have to like have your will stronger than the programming. You know what I mean, because the programming is all there for you to just fall in line. You have to have the will to overcome that and to do it on a daily basis, which is the discipline. So you know you could have I think there's a quote it's like your life could have one of two pains one, the discipline. The pain of discipline, which is hard and you get there. Or the pain of not being disciplined right, and it's so much better to just like know what that focuses and to get at it. I don't know that's right. I just feel like that if you want to receive, you have to be ready to grab it. You know what I mean. No one's going to give you more things if your hands are already full. So you know, kind of like meditating, being in the moment, when you're present. The teacher will reveal the self when the student's ready, you know. So I just kind of look at the world that way and I saw it that way and you saw it that way, and it probably just your electrons were flowing through that path the rest of your life. Right, like you're still trying to see where the next uh.

Speaker 1: 18:09

I don't think I could have put this any better myself. Really. Yeah, you, I'm inspired by just watching you, really.

Speaker 2: 18:15

Yeah, I mean, this is kind of interesting. What's going on right now. It's like this is interesting, like I'm just talking, and it's like we're hiking. We're hiking, we're in the woods. Look, mom, I'm safe. My mom was like you're going in the woods with who? You know him, that's awesome, you know him. I was like mom. I'm like 39 years old, it's okay. Where's?

Speaker 1: 18:44

mom from.

Speaker 2: 18:45

Uh, dominican Republic. We all like joke. She joke with her accent and stuff. It's just like a family thing, you know, do you know him? Listen to me.

Speaker 1: 18:55

Let's get one more. Yeah, whatever you need, that's a good one, we'll take a few more on the way out. Yeah for sure, Listen, that was a beautiful yellow section right there.

Speaker 2: 19:07

That's right, this is inspiration. Oh hell yeah.

Speaker 1: 19:11

So so I love that message right. It is so deep and I don't think many people understand it.

Speaker 2: 19:18

Well, if your life is full of distractions, you're just going to be like pushed around, like you know what I mean. Like you got to see the wave coming, you got to see the wave breaking, you got to see that wave was meant for you and you got to stand tall on that wave, otherwise it's going to pass you by, have you always?

Speaker 1: 19:35

been like this Hell yeah.

Speaker 2: 19:38

So do you take time to rest. No, I've been like this since like kindergarten. You know what I mean. Like growing up in Westfield. It was a great education and I knew early that being an artist was something you could do for a living and I was like sign me up. I think like in kindergarten.

Speaker 1: 19:54

So you always had the artistic ability.

Speaker 2: 19:57

Everything in my life has been surrounded by art. If I'm learning geography, well, where did the artist live? Right? If you're learning about history of wars, what did the artist do in times of war? You see what I'm saying. If you're learning about language, well, we're all the different types of artists and art. History of the world is art. You see it through the development of people, expressing how its form and function and works. And architecture I mean science is art. Look at pointillism. Art developed at the same time when they were developing, I believe, a cell. So they realized that everything was broken down into cells. Everything was broken down into colors. So art, science, life it's all interwoven and I saw that early. So that's how I approach. Learning is like art is the glue that holds it all together for me, so if I don't have art in my life, it's all falling apart. Art is my glue. You have to find what connects everything. You know what I mean. And then you just go where you get energized. When I met you, you're like let's go, frank, let's do it. These guys that are not really here are awesome. They drove an hour and a half from up St York to be here. If you don't show up for it. That's what it's about showing up for each other and keeping your energy high.

Speaker 1: 21:28

It's being ensured. And being open, being available and being ready to say yes to an opportunity which. I think too many people are so focused in their daily lives Because you wake up too late.

Speaker 2: 21:38

You're already like controlled, like you get up at nine. Think of the world that gets up at nine. You know, but think of the world that gets up at five.

Speaker 1: 21:45

Early bird catches the worm.

Speaker 2: 21:46

Think of the world that gets up at six. You're kind of like with that tribe, Like you don't see them, but you could feel them. You wake up. The world is calling you.

Speaker 1: 21:55

What time do you?

Speaker 2: 21:56

get up.

Speaker 1: 21:58

Hey, listener, thanks for hiking along with us. Discover more episodes at iTokaHikecom, or to recommend an adventurous guest. Try to be a sponsor. Discover books along the trail, or to simply drop us a line. Let's reminisce on something you just said before is that when you get an idea that pops in your head, you just run with it.

Speaker 2: 22:19

You have to, and how can you run with it? Your studio has to be clean. You have to be ready. You know, like, I think, a lot of people who are creatives, they don't have a dedicated space and so they spend half their creative time like organizing and setting it up. That feeling is going to escape you. I have two studios one for large oil paintings and large works and one for hand cut screen prints, and I'm also on location for murals so, technically, three studios. When the inspiration strikes, I go to that space, ready to rock it and roll Like, not like, well, let me clean up and sweep the floor. You know you have to right Like, when the idea strikes, write it down. You know.

Speaker 1: 22:59

Someone who is in the opposite world, the business world. We'll say we follow the same thought process when I get an idea that pops into my head. I don't care what time it is. Sometimes that best epiphany is in the middle of the night, when you're sleeping and you wake up. I go straight to an O-pad, I write it down, or I type it down. You don't turn it off, you don't thwart that, that that resignation, because if you're in tune to that, your best ideas start flowing. For me, my best ideas are in the middle of the night I wake up, or in the shower, and sometimes I I kid you not, sometimes I scribble with my finger on the shower glass.

Speaker 2: 23:37

Oh, I do that all day long. Yeah, because you, so it lasts longer, it lasts longer.

Speaker 1: 23:42

But it's the art of writing, though that handbrain connection, that I ended up writing it also puts it out into the world like on a super deep level. You know, I haven't when you write it out.

Speaker 2: 23:52

It's like it's epic.

Speaker 1: 23:54

I haven't actually researched it as a product Like a shower pad that I could use, because that would be really cool if that does exist. So I will look at that after.

Speaker 2: 24:04

But no, the shower pad. I like that.

Speaker 1: 24:07

It's like the scrub daddy family.

Speaker 2: 24:08

The shower pad man that thing is awesome, by the way. I have like 10 of those. I have a daddy scrub mommy scrub baby scrub sister for your brother.

Speaker 1: 24:15

And truck looks pretty clean?

Speaker 2: 24:16

Oh no, it's a Jeep.

Speaker 1: 24:18

Jeep's are meant to be dirty.

Speaker 2: 24:19

Oh, okay, it's clean as you drain one, two weeks.

Speaker 1: 24:24

So no, I think that's an important fact that people should pay attention to is don't stop the creativity. I don't care what line of business you're in. When the idea pops in your head, let it flow. Don't stop working if you're in the mood. And in the mood, why Right? Like you as an artist. You don't stop painting when it's five o'clock. You keep running right.

Speaker 2: 24:48

Well, it depends. So I run galleries too. So if someone reaches out and they're like, oh, I need to buy this piece, tonight I'm going to a wedding, I'll stop creating and I'll go make the sale, because that's my job too, I try not to stop the creative process and I block out like times that I can't be, you know, interrupted. However, you know a sales of sale and when those come in and through an email or something, I try to put the emails after the creative time.

Speaker 1: 25:18

But you're our business owner, right? You have your own gallery. Sure, that makes you a business owner, so you're the business world. What aspect of being in the business world do you not appreciate? I love it all honestly, I love it all yeah, because I just even the emails.

Speaker 2: 25:32

Yeah, I get excited because, like I love I'm not just like a guy who can create art. Like I like creating relationships and building humor into people's lives and taking my energy and adding excitement. Like I love what I do through and through, I'm happy as a I'm so fulfilled and part of having it all is understanding that you do. You know what I mean and not searching for things to fulfill it. You know, like I have two little kids, a wife, I get to make art all day. I get to connect with creative, interesting people. I get to collaborate with creative, interesting, you know, businesses. It's I just have fun with it. You know what I mean. Like I remember like stressful days as a teacher, sometimes when I was on a cart pushing art into a classroom and if at any moment, I started to get like you know not the high vibes, like I was like oh, like fear set in, like can I do this? Like you know, because essentially, art teaching on a cart is like nonstop birthday parties. You know you're running like 25 little kids like birthday. Like we're doing this, yay, all right, let's take it home, but at any moment I would just say to myself have fun with it. Because if I'm being presented by the world to be in uplift 25 young minds, I better you know what I mean have fun with it. I better be those high vibes and guess what More opportunities come out when people like the people they work with and they're fun to be around and they're exciting and you know what I mean. So it's just like a solid way to live. So yeah, no, I I have fun with all of it Like and that's why I like doing it all and I don't see anything as a. You know, you know what I mean. But hey look, there's only so much time of the day and if I get to a level where it's like, oh my gosh, I really need, you know, help with the, with the sales organizing and all that, I think that person will organically approach themselves and I'd love to partner with someone you know what I mean Rather than like higher and train, like, if I have to like kind of like instruct somebody on how to do something, they're probably not the right person to do that.

Speaker 1: 27:48

If you're going to pick a partner for your business, they need to complete you, as Jerry McGuire would say. They need to be able to fill in the gaps, naturally, of all your weaknesses. Anything you don't want to do Because the goal. If you don't like filing paperwork, then you hire someone who's great at filing paperwork.

Speaker 2: 28:08

Why? Because that frees you up to make art, because they're excited about it too, yeah, and then they love what they do, and then that energizes you. You know healthy partnerships.

Speaker 1: 28:15

Obviously, there are unhealthy partnerships, which is detrimental, and unfortunately, there is nothing wrong with sharing the workload and sharing in the success. In fact, myself I have always done better with partners, people who truly wanted me to do well and I wanted them to do well. Together, you combine, like Voltron oh yeah, Right and you make this great magic happen. Yeah.

Speaker 2: 28:42

Oh for sure, yeah, like, for instance, one big, big opportunity that came through was a partnership. So the Ritz Carlton Hotels, the addition hotel Miami is, you know, inviting me to demonstrate my art on December 7th to a private party of their residents, and I'll be doing a demo of my art before the first look of Art Basel Miami. Wow, great partnership, right.

Speaker 1: 29:10

I would say so.

Speaker 2: 29:11

I'm an artist. They're a fantastic hotel that offers, like I think they have an ice skating rink in their hotel, like it's fabulous. So it's like what a cool partnership where, like you know, they have residents that want a dynamic event and here's an artist with a dynamic art process that you can watch and you know that exactly. Together, like you said, voltron right. So there's Voltron, right, like you know. And speaking of Voltron, I guess, transformers I'm doing a mural for Rumble Gym. They're a gym in opening. I did the one in a couple of murals in Westfield, new Jersey, but now they're opening up another in Princeton, and so part of what they do in their gyms is they bring in local scenes, and so they're bringing in Einstein, you know, being from Princeton, and also, well, they're not bringing him in.

Speaker 1: 30:06

Right right, I'm sorry. In the art, in the art, the mural, right right Sorry.

Speaker 2: 30:11

And I'm like hiking and talking. But the other one that I'll be creating is, I believe, a bumblebee from Transformers. So when we said Voltron, I thought of the Transformers and like, what a cool partnership as well. Like I get to create murals for their you know, for their gym, which creates community, which is about, you know, that mindset of being your best self, of you know, so you can help others. It's just like all together and I think those like partnerships truly work when everybody has something unique to bring and it just adds value to each other. Like the Ritz Carlton when I did an event in DC last month, the head of the property said, wow, you really elevated this experience. And I'm still just speechless from that Because I'm like, oh my God, like this is Ritz Carlton, this is like Sinatra, this is like Epic. And I'm elevating your experience through my love of art, making Like so cool, right so you have to seek those partnerships because they get you out of your comfort zone and they are the bridge to transform you. You will not transform to the level that you're, I guess, destined to if you don't take those partnerships and that trust on another person or another organization or you know, like with this wonderful collaboration with Kane University, as the artists and residents and you know, I've worked with Hilton and Amazon and W Hotels and W Hoboken I had an art gallery for basically like four and a half years- in the hotel, and that's what really was my biggest.

Speaker 1: 31:52

That's what I needed.

Speaker 2: 31:53

Well, yes, I was a teacher and we were running an art gallery and I was making art, you know, full time and teaching full time. I never took anything part time. And after a few years of that, in Hoboken, the W Hotel reached out and said hey, we would love to have your gallery in our hotel. We have this space. And I was like are you kidding me? And so I told my wife and she's like you know what? It's time for you to leave teaching so you can, like swim with both arms and and and you know what I mean. Instead of, like you know, teaching from you know whatever, it is 830 in the morning till 330, then rushing to Hoboken and running a gallery from 5 to 8 and then making art from 8 to like 3 in the morning. I mean, I did that for so many years. And she's like look, you worked hard. Like this is you'll regret if you went at this not full heartedly. And when I left teaching in 2000, I think it was like 17, 18, that's what happened. The W Hotels offered me this gallery and, and there's the collaboration that then allowed me to get my art internationally in. Paris, germany? Oh for sure, because the it's an international hotel. You know, ball players stay there when they play. It met life, sadie, you know like. I got to meet a wonderful group of residents. Even, too, there's 40 residents that live there. It was a great, convenient location for the community of collectors and art lovers and hoboken, and it was fantastic, you know. But as hotels go, they evolve, and the next, you know, the next iteration of that space is this awesome Omakasi experience, which is fabulous for a date night, and I still have my art in the windows on the river street windows, these big like Macy's windows, so I get to put my larger pieces and people can purchase them through the window, through the QR code, through emailing me, but they can view them 24 seven. You know it's like a street gallery but it's through a glass window on the outside and you know it's through working with them. That connected me with Ritz Carlton and you know I mean. So it's just. I definitely advise people to seek those collaborations when they're ready. Yeah, the issue I think with people is they're so ready to get to the next level, but they realize the first level is endurance and, like you know, it takes a long time to develop and to get your signature style, but then you have to recognize it once it's there and go. You know what I'm saying. So not not taking, I mean whatever. Everybody has their own path, but for me I definitely develop my paintings for a while, and then I develop my hand cuts for a while and then it's just like magnetized.

Speaker 1: 34:43

You got your practice, all the opportunities. It sounds like you've had a lot of inspiration and your wife by the way is your biggest champion.

Speaker 2: 34:49

I can hear it she's my muse. Yeah, she's not the first time I have heard a guest call their wife. Oh, she's everything I find my wife amusing.

Speaker 1: 34:58

I don't know if I'd say I love that.

Speaker 2: 35:00

But no, my wife inspires me all the time.

Speaker 1: 35:07

It's really important, much like a partner in a business to have the right partner in life. You have to, and listening to each other is very important. Your wife put you in this direction. You were in tune. Recurring theme in your life, you were in tune. And that sets you up for the W Hotel, which puts you on an international stage.

Speaker 2: 35:24

Definitely.

Speaker 1: 35:25

And with international notoriety which is phenomenal.

Speaker 2: 35:28

So I mean with private collectors who stayed there and things like that. You know, I haven't really gone to that like other gallery level yet, because I just been so busy with doing, you know, running my own and I'm happy with this level of success because I had two little boys and, like you know, if I had to go across the world to go to an art show, I don't know if I'm ready for that, because I really want to like see my kids grow up and be there for them, and that's why I like doing things a lot on the local level and, you know, like going to Miami school, but they're coming with me.

Speaker 1: 35:59

You know what I?

Speaker 2: 36:00

mean Like. So I think in time you can always go get bigger and grow the importance of balance in a successful life.

Speaker 1: 36:09

You could be the most successful artist on the planet, most successful CEO, business person, investor, it doesn't matter. Oh yeah, right. But if you are not present in life for your family, all you're doing is racing your life away. For the material thing that you're not taking with you, but the legacy of deep rooting, strong family values, is de minimis.

Speaker 2: 36:31

Oh for sure. I mean, like, think about it, if I gave you all the fortune in the world that you want to achieve, you know, with your, your talent, or your skill, or, like you said, if I vow you said earlier like I value this time, right, so I give you all of that in a material sense, you're going to fall over because you have no balance, you know what. I mean. So you need the balance in order to accept the abundance that is generated from producing value through your passion, your drive, you know and the choices you make on a daily basis.

Speaker 1: 37:03

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Speaker 2: 37:38

So cool, yeah. I mean, I loved hiking. I need to do it more.

Speaker 1: 37:42

And this is like everyone needs to do it more.

Speaker 2: 37:45

Everyone needs to do it more you want to take a hike, you know to be like. Follow the signs, like okay, you know like well, now you took a hike.

Speaker 1: 37:53

I did take a hike.

Speaker 2: 37:54

You know it's funny, one of my neighbors there was like a neighborhood birthday this weekend and so we're talking and he's like, what do you got going on this week? I was like, oh, I'm taking a hike. This guy local has a podcast, darren, he goes. Oh my God, my daughter goes to his. I know my son goes to his school, cause I always see him pull up. He has this big car with a sticker on the backs. As I took a hike and I was like, oh sweet, you know. So my neighbor's kid goes to some school yeah, very cool. Or after school some program or something.

Speaker 1: 38:24

I got three kids. I don't know which kid you prefer. Let's watch out for the mud there. Oh yeah, we are almost to our destination. You got it, man.

Speaker 2: 38:32

The Grand Canyon of Union County.

Speaker 1: 38:35

No, the other one is more grandiose. So talk to me more about inspiration.

Speaker 2: 38:40

Yeah, so I think you know, I think you have to be honest with yourself and go with what you're curious about, that feeling and that energy within you that's pulling you, and you know, towards maybe a medium or a subject matter and just to, like you know, go with it and grow with it and not so much try to find it all the time. And you also have to be ready for inspiration, like I was talking to you about that Manet and de Gaucho. I haven't seen it yet because I want to make sure that once I see it I could rush back to the studio that day and get into another piece and be ready to receive that inspiration and then run with it. But yeah, so the new source of inspiration, I'm doing a big solo show at Cain University in January. It's like a 3000 square foot gallery space and I get to fill it with all my art and you know they asked me to develop a new body of work for part of the show and so to find inspiration. That was something different, a different, you know, not necessarily a scene or a person or a place, but maybe imagery that correlates and creates some kind of allegorical message. And so I kind of like looked within for inspiration for that and got into like horoscopes and energies and learning about. You know that kind of life and you know. So that's pretty cool because when you follow your inspiration, it leads you on a new path and develops you in a different way.

Speaker 1: 40:14

So what is making it look like for you?

Speaker 2: 40:17

I mean the ability that there's just like so much demand, like it's just amazing, like to receive an email like this week from you know new collectors they saw my work, like seven years ago at an open house in Jersey City and they were like we've loved your work ever since, you know and then to get another email later in the day of you know me and my husband looking at your work and you know you're on our dream list of pieces and we're interested to see you know what you have available. You know it's like I feel like. I feel like making it is just like having really good collaborations that want to continue to collaborate with you. I emailed with the W Hobeauken today about Miami going down to Art Basel to do this demonstration, and I think that making it is just like understanding that you're riding that wave and you don't have to paddle as hard. You have to work just as hard but in a different way, and acknowledging that you're further along your journey than when you started and to have the confidence to continue that path rather than trying to add more to your plate and just serving what has grown. I don't really do marketing for my work. I don't do paid ads. I don't really pay for the word to get out, and so, for me, making it is like the fact that all these opportunities are coming towards me Like a vortex, like I've magnified my energy into this art and the world is like really responding to it. That's the feeling, I guess, of making it, you know.

Speaker 1: 41:55

Well, I asked you about making it because we made it back to the trial.

Speaker 2: 42:00

Well, I guess yeah, when you make it back home, coming back to Westfield opening up a gallery locally and seeing the kids that I used to teach come by and say wow, mr Roy, you said you were going to leave teaching to follow your art and you opened up a gallery in town and you know, seeing them further on their journeys, whether it in art and you know, I guess that's you know going full circle back to Cain University and having them, you know, basically like invest in me and, you know, commission my time for talks and to speak to others, and what I'm seeing now is like, yes, creating it is so important, yes, making it is so important, yes, staying in that vibe is so important. But now I've reached all of these opportunities to reach others, to energize others, to share that positive message and to get that fire kindling or I don't know if that's the word, but igniting it and sparking it and being called to do that, you know. And so I guess that's the feeling I don't know how did you know of making it? When you made it? Was it your exit? Was it your the fact that someone valued it at that much? Or is it having all these people sign up to podcast? You know, and saying yes to your offer of these fun adventures, like what you know.

Speaker 1: 43:22

So for me it's been making it in stages, but I don't feel like I open quote, made it, and I know that sounds like a safe answer. Sure, I'm not an egotistical person, sure, so I like to be, you know, at least in my own thoughts, a little humble on it. So did I make it by selling a business? Yeah, I sold the business, so I made it on that milestone Right. But now I'm at the beginnings of a startup.

Speaker 2: 43:50

I'm at the beginnings right.

Speaker 1: 43:51

This is a new venture.

Speaker 2: 43:52

I didn't make anything Because you have many journeys, right yeah? I'm still a beginner, I'm a noob, as I think that's still the cool kid work which now, I just made it uncool. Awesome, didn't work hard, but I'm so new at this. I'm learning.

Speaker 1: 44:06

You know a different style of interviewing, active listening, which is incredibly important. And now I think back to myself when I reflect if I knew then what I know now, you hear everyone say that If I knew then what I know now, right. Well, it's true. If I knew then what I know now and was just a better listener, maybe the exit of the company would not have been the exit. Maybe I would have kept it going. Maybe it would have been double or triple in size. Maybe there's so many maybes that. I'll never know in a sliding glass door moment that I don't know. So that causes me to reflect on did I ever really make it in the first place? And the answer is no. No, I don't think any of us make it Right. We keep remaking it.

Speaker 2: 44:50

And that is value.

Speaker 1: 44:53

Hey, listener, thanks for hiking along with us. Discover more episodes at hightokahikecom, or to recommend an adventurous guest, Apply to be a sponsor, discover books along the trail, or to simply drop us a line. So I guess, are you motivated by increasing the value of your art for your collectors or are you motivated by increasing the amount, the vastness of your art to the public?

Speaker 2: 45:19

I love the rarity of my work. I love the rarity of life and the uniqueness, so that's what my art speaks to. And these are all great questions to think about. And I do read about this because that's it right, that's the culture, but you have to study it. Yeah, and now you get a lot of questions of what's the investment in this piece over time, and I think was it you who asked, maybe when we first met, or someone Chances?

Speaker 1: 45:48

are? I would have asked that style of question.

Speaker 2: 45:50

Yeah, I think it was actually you. This week I was asked oh, by you, yeah, and I do tend to ask those questions. You know, where I'm at now is that I make art, that I love to make and people value it and I love that, and I don't think they're trying to sell it on a secondary market.

Speaker 1: 46:09

It's not about selling. It's holding value. You wouldn't buy into an artist that you believe in if you thought that $40,000 piece will be worth $10,000 next week.

Speaker 2: 46:17

Sure, I mean, I love that, please. You know that's great. Like this week I was, you know. So this week a collector continued to be interested in the piece, like, oh, I have your early works, I want a new one you made of this Far Hills race track. And I was like, yeah, it's like inspired by horse racing. And you know he was like, yeah, I want to continue to collect. And you know, it's just like someone who early work wants to continue to collect your work when people have, like some people have over 10 pieces of mine, you know that's a lot.

Speaker 1: 46:52

That is a lot.

Speaker 2: 46:53

Some people have bought four pieces the first time they saw my work. Like four big pieces, like you know what that means.

Speaker 1: 46:59

That means, not only did they love it, they loved it so much, they also bought you. They believed in you.

Speaker 2: 47:04

I just so, I just look at it in terms of that. You know, I think the value of things now with doing, you know, shows with the Ritz Carlton residents and opportunities like that, you know that is a bigger question, right, and that's that's another field of it and I think, like it has to right, it has to get the value of what it's valued at and rather than try to seek a mass scale of my work in a production line or something I'm not ever trying to do, that I'm trying to make everything original, valuable. But I do have different price points for my work. So if you have $250 to spend on art, I have a small piece. If you have $1,000, I have a piece like that, and there generally be other things. So I'm starting to do drawings at $500. I sold my first drawing in Philadelphia to an art you know dealer and art advisor. I'm sorry. And so, rather than try to take something that's pure and like put it in merchandising or posters, I love to keep it pure. I love to get that value, you know, adjusted to what it's currently valued at, always being in the positive sense and just opening other things that are original, that I like to create, that explore other aspects of my art. So I think it's just having a diverse range of it rather than jeopardizing. You know, if things are getting more valued and more valued, god bless, I hope they do.

Speaker 1: 48:36

You know what I mean. Like, like, as I said, I want to add value.

Speaker 2: 48:39

I always want to add value. So if you feel like you know, you're just like wow, I have so much value out of this, Then I've done my job. Like, for instance, yesterday I had to meet a collector who wants to commission two pieces, Not just one, two pieces, right. So we had dinner, we're talking, and I was supposed to be in Hoboken to deliver and meet a new collector who want three pieces for their law firm in Hoboken. But because the other collector wanted to meet, I sent my buddy, Matt. I said Matt, could you go hang these pieces in Hoboken? He went into Hoboken, he hung the three pieces. He calls me up and he goes dude, I know we don't have Google reviews, but he just kept on saying he was the value there of getting the work hung where he wanted it, the pieces that he want delivered on time, so with the whole service of that makes me feel good and that he's over the moon with the value of the pieces he purchased Now. Should that increase in value next year or next year, I think, with more mass scale of knowing my work, those pieces have to become higher. But at the same time I don't want to not have something available for the intro collector of my work and when I'm not here anymore. That's something that my children and their children have to decide on. That's what I'm striving for with my life is to create this art in a hand cut paper stencil medium that I love so much, that still, after so many years, just invigorates me and lifts my soul, and the beautiful part is, nobody else has really created them ever.

Speaker 1: 50:17

I've developed a whole new thing.

Speaker 2: 50:21

Some artists, another painter, another printmaker. This is printmaking, but I'm trying to develop a whole new movement, a whole new technique that hopefully will be studied and ignite other people who want to spend hours on end with an exacto knife and a piece of paper in a room by themselves cutting like and nerd out on shapes and colors, like all day long. And I hope I find my tribe the more that I can get this message out of what I'm doing and how I'm doing it. There are no secrets. I'm not worried that someone's going to come up with my formula, and that's not it at all. My formula is my brain.

Speaker 1: 50:59

And I want to see where they get. So you're not worried about copycats, because there will certainly be a copycat whenever this success is a copycat.

Speaker 2: 51:04

Oh for sure, and that's why you didn't bring it up yet. So I figured I would. But I don't feel that way, because no one can ever be you, no one can be me. And in the end, let's say, this is like status quo or the average or whatever, and you just put 1%, which is yourself, and you change that, and you focus on that Over time. That 1% separates. You see what I mean, like a graph, like math.

Speaker 1: 51:35

Like cream, right to the top.

Speaker 2: 51:36

It's just, and it's not about one's top and one's low, it's just that this is the status quo, like you said, of you can't do this, or nobody's done that, or this is not something, and then you believing that you could over time, and then you're like, wow, look at this and it's truly shocking, but you try not to focus too much on it, because that's when you can get curled up into whatever like imposter syndrome or crippling your growth. So, you just stick to the process and keep that daily discipline. But you also have to acknowledge look, these people are buying four, five, six pieces at a time. I think the value needs to go a little bit higher this year, and so you increase it a little bit. That's the business aspect of what you do, but you always give a savings of we do 10% to continued collectors, and I will always do that, because if you collected my work when I started, my prices are more now, but I want to thank you for allowing me to get my prices more now. So here's this 10%. You know savings. And now everybody takes it. They say, no, you keep it, I'm happy to pay more. Because, like you know what I'm saying and that's how it is when you add the value right.

Speaker 1: 52:47

So that is the universality. I think that's a word, universality.

Speaker 2: 52:52

Sure, I'll take it. I'll take it. It's a word. If you believe it, I'm making up words. I got my note back.

Speaker 1: 52:55

Listen. I make up words all the time. I listen back to these episodes, I'm like what are words?

Speaker 2: 52:59

That's not a word.

Speaker 1: 52:59

Right, listen, I'm hiking, I'm tripping, sometimes I'm stuttering.

Speaker 2: 53:03

This is what it is, yeah.

Speaker 1: 53:04

But that is the universal nature of any industry. Art has a business Building customer loyalty and offering and extending customer discounts as a reward is how you negotiate with the customer to stay loyal.

Speaker 2: 53:18

But what the truth about it is. I didn't study that, I didn't read that in a book. I just do that out of my own common sense and integrity and value system.

Speaker 1: 53:29

You see what I mean. Integrity, you know Integrity, you nailed it.

Speaker 2: 53:32

I think that's huge man. I think it's like so when I was first starting and I was painting, working as a waiter in Hoboken, I would sit next to businessmen that were by themselves at the bar and I'd strike up a conversation and I'd be like give me some advice. I know how to make art, but you look like you're a business guy Like what do you? Like? I want to turn this into a career Like that's who I saw and they were like. I remember Ryan Mitchell. He became a collector and a friend for life and he said to me he does business accounting in Hoboken still. And he said to me he goes, align yourself with collaborations and businesses and people and collectors that have the same value system as you. That's right. If you ever take on a business partner, make sure your values overlap. Your ideas can be different. They should be, because that's the best partnership when you have different ideas and perspectives. But you cannot change your value system Because if you value something, for instance, mass production of art at a lower price point to get mass scale, and I don't it ain't going to work. And so I've been approached by a puzzle company. I've been approached by an interior design popular brand that was going to release a series of my works and I said I'm grateful for these opportunities but at the end of the day, you have to turn them down because they're not for you. It's not what your ethics and integrity speak of. So I just think that's super important too, and I think over longevity, of being yourself and providing this value and creating this art. People see that and they trust it more and they're like oh no, he's really into this. 17 years later, you do something and you start to try to monetize it so soon, and I don't know, sometimes that could be an easier path, but I don't think it's the right path. I think it's like the marathon, you know.

Speaker 1: 55:31

Well, so, ricardo Royg, I think we could sum up this episode with the value system. You cannot change your value system in order to be successful.

Speaker 2: 55:41

So, ricardo Royg, I thank you for the inspiration.

Speaker 1: 55:45

I like that I enjoyed this hike. I enjoy going off trail off the beaten path and back on. Oh my god. I enjoyed your inspiration.

Speaker 2: 55:53

Me too, and I am certainly motivated, thank you. I mean it's just transformative and those are the best experiences when you're changed after in a better way. I think this is truly my first hike. I think so, you know. I mean you totally set the bar high, but it's your own bar. It cannot be compared to. You know what I mean, like go to a room and talk or go out into nature and let it re-energize you, so thank you.

Speaker 1: 56:19

Next time when I took a hike. We find passion and purpose and drive, all while learning from the master of LinkedIn himself, joe Appelbaum.