Aaron Elvis Jupin’s Instagram bio reads: “Painter and flower smeller.” Indeed, his surreal paintings are often dotted with flowers – a blend of objects, plantation, and caricatures. With a BFA from the Otis College of Art and Design, the California-based artist draws inspiration from Disney cartoons, mimicking the playful line work and animation of everyday objects. Aside from painting, he also draws and sculpts, with his overall aesthetic clearly inspired by digital art.
“I always remember drawing when I was a kid with my cousins,” recalled Jupin in an interview with Art of Choice. “My dad is a photographer and my uncle is an animator/painter but watching cartoons as a kid is when I feel that art entered my life. That was my first introduction to drawing, color and the abstraction of reality. Trying to draw cartoons and apology letters to my mom for getting in trouble in catholic school was how I expressed myself and practiced my technique.”
Naturally, with more practice so has his techniques advanced, and he often experiences with different mediums, using collage work, airbrush and “a lot of tape.” “I find inspiration everywhere,” he says, mentioning things like photographs his friends send him, cartoons and movies, as well as nature and insects. “To be honest everywhere and everything inspires me, nothing is really off limits as long as I feel some kind of personal connection to it. Once something catches my eye I begin looking for it in all different settings.”
His work also draws from artistic movements like Surrealism and Pop Art, as well as macro photographs of bugs and plants. It’s an eclectic blend but that’s what makes his art so unique.
Take a look for yourself.
