The Art of David Maldonado
Words by Kenshi Westover | Images courtesy of David Maldonado
From the Castro Street Art Fair to Joe’s Barbershop, Barnwood, The Stud, Lone Star and the SF Eagle, not to mention a very strong following on social media, SF queer artist David Maldonado has impressively exhibited and sold his sexy, stylized paintings and prints on a large local scale.
With his affinity for depicting leather daddies and kinkster bears, David was the perfect fit for our Leather Issue’s artist spotlight, so we sat down with the artist to see what makes him tick.
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What is your art background and from where do you get your inspiration?
My background is a mix of fine art and animation. When I studied at San Francisco State University I started my degree in Fine Arts before making a change to Graphic Design then settled on Cinema with an emphasis in animation. I haven’t really done much animation work after college but it has served as the inspiration for the look of my work. I began painting my style in 2020, drawing inspiration from Mid-century elements and animation (Rooty Toot-Toot, The Jetsons, Bruce Timm). I like to look at artists such as Shag, Derek Yaniger, and Chris Reccardi. I’ve always enjoyed seeing a more playful and illustrated look instead of realism so I use my experience from animation to create colorful works.
How long have you been selling your work? And is this what you do full-time?
It’s been about 4 years now since I’ve started selling my work. I began with a few paintings and prints at Lone Star Saloon in San Francisco. Since then I’ve been tabling at shows, getting my work in galleries and selling online from my website. I do this full-time to get by.
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself when you were first starting out?
I would tell myself to cut back on video games and start forming a work ethic to spend more time drawing. Not everything I make has to be a “finished” look either, sketches and rough drafts are ok to get the hand moving and the creativity in motion. Don’t get too hung up on overthinking too in general.
What has surprised you the most about putting your work out there? (Meaning, did the reality of being a working/selling artist meet your expectations, or have there been surprises, good or bad?
What surprises me most is that I never know who would enjoy my work. I set myself in a box thinking only gay men would be my audience but I’ve found women and straight men are fond of my work. Most often I hear how my art is funny. Not the intention to make it humorous but I’ll take it, to them it’s a fresh new look of art and something that’s different. Sometimes I sell well and sometimes I don’t. There is no guarantee to financial success but presence and visibility is certain since I’m putting myself and my work out there.
What’s the best thing about being an artist?
The best thing is that I just get to create and just do it full-time. I make what I like and it draws people in.
What’s the worst?
The worst is I have to be my own boss. It’s a plus too but I really have to be self-disciplined and make myself be productive. Also the business side to it is not as fun as the creating aspect. I can paint all I want but if I don’t make the time to scout for open calls, apply for shows/galleries, update my website, etc, I wouldn’t be able to make a living from it.
Do you ever get “artist’s block”? And if so, how do you break through it?
Sometimes I do, or I feel that if I’m not working on something I’m just wasting time. What I’ve found to help myself through this is to go through my gallery of pictures I’ve saved/taken I use for reference and sketch from there. When I go out I like to take photos of places, art, statues, and sculptures that I can use as inspiration.
Do you do commissions?
Yes, sometimes. People can also just ask me and if I feel I have the time I’m down to work on commissions.
What advice would you give an up and coming queer artist trying to make a living as an artist?
I would say to be patient and stay dedicated with your time. It takes a while to get things started and to build up a presence. It’s ok to ask for advice or help on things as well. You have to be social to sell your work and make good connections. Go out into the world and just live, you draw inspiration from life so go out and have one.
You have participated in so many local art shows including the Tom XL: Tom of Finland Foundation art show at The SF Eagle and have even had your work exhibited at Fabulosa Books in the Castro. Do you have any shows or fairs coming up where people can see and purchase your work?
You can go to my website (chasindoodles.com) and I can be found on social media. For both Instagram and X, I can be found as @chasindoodles. I will be at Taraval Night Market (Sept. 21st), Bearrison Street Fair, and I will be participating in SF Open Studios. I will also be at Upside Gallery for the weekend of Friday, Sept. 27th through Sunday, Sept. 29th. I post where I will be on my socials, if you want to keep up with me!
