Meet Angela Ruis of Blondita Paints in West Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Ruis.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Angela. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up, I’ve always had intense creative energy that I channeled in different ways. I was always dancing, singing or drawing. It wasn’t until I was 21 and started taking painting seriously that I felt I was placing this energy in it’s most comfortable home yet. I was obsessively painting all the time, and it was at that point where I made the natural shift to painting on the clothes I was wearing, specifically denim. I loved the positive attention and the way I felt in my new painted clothes. I felt so cool and inspired I decided to turn it into a business so other people can feel the same way I did in my hand painted clothing.

Has it been a smooth road?
Not having gone to school for art, I always felt like the work I was producing was really bad. I was really insecure to share ideas and artwork that I thought would be judged harshly. As I continue to grow, I’ve learned to tune that negative voice out and continue to work on my craft and focus on getting better everyday. A bumpy road to me means room for growth and more inspiration.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Blondita Paints – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
What is great about Blondita Paints is the 90’s/00’s nostalgic vibe. I really love the style of those older cartoons and try to incorporate them as much as possible into my clothing work. My style is very 90’s/00’s also in the sense that I like the baggy jean, high waisted mom jeans, crop jackets and shirts of that time. It is a fun throwback to childhood with an edgier twist which I feel my clients really enjoy. On the other end of the spectrum I have my canvas work that focuses on women empowerment, and body positivity. How I personally tie the two together is through the cartoon style of painting. I bring in that 90’s nostalgia with my canvas work as well. For example one of my best selling canvases has been a nude woman on the screen of a gameboy. I want to show that the female form is not unusual and that it is not offensive. Blondita Paints may have started out specializing in hand-painted denim and customized 1/1 items of clothing (available via DM or email). But it has certainly grown into something on more of a grand scale, crossing mediums and styles when I felt that I had more to say but needed a new outlet. I grew up in the era of gameboys and Spongebob and love being able to express myself and my experiences through pop culture and art.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Moving to LA I was nervous; I wouldn’t find my community of artists and other people that share the same goals as me. Now having lived here for almost a year, I’ve never felt more immersed and comfortable in an artistic community in my life. There’s not much to complain about living in LA. I am extremely grateful to be here.

Contact Info:

• Website: blonditapaints.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: instagram.com/blonditapaints

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