Meet Alfred Paredes of A. P. Sculpture Studio in The North West Side

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alfred Paredes.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born and raised in Southern California. My early years weren’t filled with art. I was more interested in playing in the sun and watching science fiction movies and cartoons. I never thought all the cool stuff I was watching was actually being made by somebody out there. I loved drawing, but merely as a hobby. As I got into high school, my artistic sensibilities were growing. I decided I wanted to be an illustrator. When I got to college, I discovered the world of Fine Art painting. I was hooked right away. I spent the first year and a half focused on painting. Then the school brought in a sculpting teacher and I signed up. After the first class, I knew I wanted to do nothing else. Sculpture has been my focus for the last 20+ years. In recent years, my focus has turned to sculpting for the toys and collectibles industry.

Now, I am a character designer and sculptor. I create original character busts and full figures for my own line of resin kits. I am also part of the in house sculpting team at Sideshow Collectibles.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s definitely not been a smooth road. I’ve been doing this for so long that back when I got out of college, the internet was not what it is today. There was no social media, YouTube, online tutorials, or ways of reaching out to other artists or studios. It was really difficult to find work. I started at a place called Dinamation, but they were closing shop. I made good money there and had saved up. I spent over three months looking for more sculpting work, but there was none to be found (not without knowing the right people). So, after the money dried up, I went back to doing what I had grown up doing. Construction. But as the years went on, the difficult work made it so I was really tired when I would get home and I wasn’t much in the mood to create. It was 10 years later that I had finally had enough. I missed sculpting. I took the advice of a very successful sculptor who told me “Leap and the net will appear.” And with the encouragement of my wife, I quit construction with no prospects whatsoever. That first year, I only managed to make $600 from sculpting. It was a very humbling experience. I questioned my decision to leave a steady job for the unknown world of a freelance artist, but I had made my decision and I was going to see it through. I had been a working sculptor once before and I wanted to be that again. And this time, failure was not an option. I dug down deep and got to work, improving my skills and building a network of connections. The following years saw very little money, but it was growing and my name was getting to be a bit more recognized. Then, the work started to come in and I was once again a working sculptor. I started making my own stuff as well and going to conventions to sell my creations. I was balancing being a freelance artist and running my own little business of collectibles. Then, I got hired on at Sideshow Collectibles (one of the biggest collectibles companies out there). It had been a goal from the start and I was proud of myself for having achieved that. Now, I’ve been there for almost five years and I’m still balancing my time between being an employed artist at a well-known company, and running my own little business all these years later.

P. Sculpture Studio – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
A.P. Sculpture Studio is an all-around sculpting business. I’ve worked on everything from toys and collectibles to large scale, public bronze monuments. I do freelance work and I put out my own line of collectible figures based on my original designs.

It’s been a long road building up my little company, and it’s still just me in a converted garage/studio, doing all the work by myself, but I’m proud that I’ve had major celebrity clients, as well as having created a 9 foot tall bronze figure for the city of Arcadia, Ca.

One of the things that sets me apart from others is that I can take on almost any type of project. From big to small, I’ve been able to tackle all the things that have come my way. I do quality work and am always looking to keep my clients happy.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I think the biggest feather in my cap is the Elias “Lucky” Baldwin monument for the city of Arcadia. It’s a rare thing to get a commission like that and to know that it will stand there long after I’m gone is a very cool thing. It stands right outside the Santa Anita Race Track on Huntington Blvd. in Arcadia and is seen by thousands daily. It was also the last major achievement my father got to see before he passed. He was so proud that day, and I cherish the memory of it. Not just because of the achievement, but because I got to share it with my father and older brother (who has also since passed). Being able to grow my little company from the early start with almost no work, to doing work for the Ellen Show, Katy Perry and the “Lucky” Baldwin Monument, just to name a few, has also been one of my proudest achievements.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.APSculptureStudio.com
• Email: alfred@apsculpturestudio.com
• Instagram: @apsculpturestudio

Image Credit:
Cassie Fuertez

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