Meet Josh Raphael of Painted Prophet in Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Raphael.

Joshua, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My journey with art began as a toddler in St. Louis, Missouri, sketching my view of the world. Merely three years old, I would draw pictures that my nine years old sister would take to school for show and tell and say she made it. My 4th grade art teacher was the first to push my efforts as she entered my class projects in local art contests. I won many awards this way, sometimes even beating out high schoolers. When I got to high school I started painting and patching my own clothes as the pressures to constantly be fly rose. Being the youngest of six, I was no stranger to ‘hand me downs.’ So when life handed me some beat up air force 1’s, I turned them to hard hitting customs. How hard you ask? Well there was one kid in school who prided himself on having every pair of air force 1’s released that year, When he seen my customs, he thought they were new releases & instanlty hated my guts. I would also paint Looney Tune characters on t-shirts to match the kicks. Soon a fan base brewed and my classmates started ordering custom shirts and shoes. This really grew my fashion interests and when I graduated, I went to the Art institute of Chicago on an art scholarship through Budweiser and learned traditional art techniques. Once completed, I moved to Los Angeles for more creative opportunities. Shouts to uncle Mike who allowed me to stay with him while I transitioned. Here I took painting and jacket making much more serious and am now able to earn a living from it.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My biggest obstacles were escaping the boxes people wanted to put me in. They first came from my grandparents that begged me to get a “practical degree” and “practical job” with a 401k and benefits. So I went and got a graphic design job making merch for a chain of souvenir gift shops. Once the energy of being approved by my parents wore off, I became miserable. Their main focus was security, but ironically, my job got shut down by its’ parenting company, proving there’s no such thing as job security.

Please tell us more about your story. What do you do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
Painted Prophet is a creative powerhouse. I specialize in Abstract / Realism Portraits and Avant Garde streetwear. My art pieces have been prized by the likes of Snoop Dogg and my fashion pieces have been worn on award show runways and TV sitcoms alike. What sets me apart from others is my unique style. Having to make many pieces from necessity early on, I see things differently than most.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Good luck has played a big role in the success of my business. To me, “luck” means preparation meeting opportunity. I worked long and hard on my pieces for when an opportunity rose to showcase them properly.

Pricing:

• Graphic design and t-shirt merch $30-250
• Custom Jackets and Sneakers $250-500
• Custom artwork and Portraits $500-2000
• Murals and Billboard size artwork $2000+

Contact Info:

• Website: paintedprophet.bigcartel.com
• Phone: 3143300695
• Email: paintedprophetmgmt@gmail.com
• Instagram: paintedprophet

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