For artist James Alpert, opportunity awaits
James Alpert was studying law when his love for creative arts pushed him in a different direction. (Photos by Alex Dominguez)
DOWNEY — Imagine having your foot in the door of several promising art careers all at once, with all the time and opportunity to explore each option. James Alpert has that luxury.
The 20-year-old Downey resident found himself at a crossroads: The covid-19 pandemic had shut down the world, and the then Rio Hondo College law student knew that his education would not be best spent in front of a webcam.
“When Covid hit, I’m just really one of those people that need to be there at school, so I just kind of took that opportunity to be inside all the time to practice drawing and more artwork,” he said. “This is a good time to take it serious.”
“Taking it serious” may be a bit of an understatement, as in very little time Alpert has taken his art into not one, not two, but three different mediums: tattoo, graphic design, and painting.
Though Alpert says art has been “with me forever,” he got his professional start doing small freelance jobs.
“I found a gig where I started designing skateboards in Downtown LA, and through that I met a ton of people who were just kind of in the tattoo world I guess, mixed with the skating community,” said Alpert.
Alpert would use these newfound connections to find an apprenticeship at a tattoo shop in Pico Rivera. Alpert has been tattooing for two years now, now out of Iconiq Tattoo Studio in Fontana. Tattooing takes a fair amount of his time; around five days a week.
As he grew his clientele, Alpert would meet a videographer who showed interest in bringing his art into entertainment. This was the beginning of his next venture.
“I started doing small things on the side for them, like animating,” said Alpert. “Just getting some of my credits in the music world, I guess; the underground scene for sure.”
Through those projects, Alpert caught the attention of digital marketing company Victory House Agency.
“They work with iHeart Radio and all of their clients,” said Alpert. “I got hired as a graphic designer based off of my work.
“I work on a lot of the podcasts, and a lot of the social media aspect of it, so like the Instagram. I do posters, content creation. And then I do like podcast production assistance, which is like I get the audio, and I write subtitles, and do voice memos; things for people to share, basically.”
In addition to his graphic design and tattoo work, Alpert has entered into the gallery realm, at the suggestion of one of his mentors.
He is currently working on his first piece; his style leaning heavily into that of realism.
“I love faces and portraits,” said Alpert. “I like putting the soul in the eyes, and looking back at it, for sure. I like subjects, and if I can captivate that; just the person being there.”
His current work is a “peaceful” portrait of a small boy holding an ice cream cone, which he says is an impression of him as a young kid, and of his nephews.
“I notice a lot of painters – I’m not trying to knock on anyone at all, but maybe because I’m younger – a lot of people draw alcohol, cigars, women, things like that. That’s all cool, I’m interested in things like that. But I just kind of wanted to take it a little more back to the more innocence.”
Once completed, the piece will hang at a show at The Artistry in San Pedro in August; a first for the young artist.
Still, there is no telling where exactly Alpert’s art will take him. And for now, he’s okay with that.
“They all kind of spin together,” said Alpert. “I guess I just like staying busy. So, when one thing is done, another pops up, and I like doing that.”