Today we’d like to introduce you to Jazz Torrez.
Jazz, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am an artist and educator. Both professions are very important to me. I was born in Laredo, Texas and moved to El Paso, Texas when I was seven. I believe that my upbringing contributed to my artistic side. I was raised an only child and was always imaginative. At around four years old, I began to paint, draw, and color quite often. I didn’t consider it something that just filled my time as I genuinely loved drawing on my own for hours. I would create magical creatures, characters, and stories that accompanied them. I consider this to be the beginning of my love of art and creating.
I was a shy kid, so art was an enjoyable way of expressing myself without having to speak. Starting in middle school, I began to show my art in galleries around El Paso because I was taking oil painting classes with an artist and painting teacher named Martha Rodriguez, who was always very inspiring. I graduated early from high school because I wanted to work, paint, and start thinking about college. In high school, I was extremely quiet and doodled endlessly. I was considered strange, but I was honestly very proud of that! I was once told by my high school art teacher that I wouldn’t get into art school because I didn’t follow the rules and that I did my own thing. My dream was to go to art school, and I was beyond amazed when I got into California Institute of the Arts (CALARTS) in Valencia, California. These were truly some formative years for me, and it was a beautiful learning experience. I started to come out of my shell and was brave with my art and the content of my work. My instructors and fellow college classmates taught me so much, and I got to see my artwork grow and start to have more meaning. I got to experiment with new and different mediums and participated in many art shows. I was mostly an oil painter when I started college, and by my fourth year, I was doing printmaking, acrylic painting, video art, woodworking, sculpture, and art installation. I was fortunate to go to the school of my dreams and am glad my mother was always so supportive of my artistic dreams.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, I started to tutor students from ages six to fifteen in English and math through a tutoring company. I did this to pay my bills and stay in Los Angeles but was surprised when I found out that I was good at teaching and enjoyed every second of it. I moved back to El Paso in 2012 because I missed my hometown and family. I worked as an English, writing, and art instructor at a small university for several years. I left the university to pursue some artistic goals and started a small graphic design and art business called Twin Lllamas, and I became an avid art vendor as well. I participated often at the El Paso Downtown Art and Farmers Market as an art vendor and art teacher for kids. I started meeting more local artists and supporters of the arts. Shortly after, I began to teach kindergarten kids and enjoyed it very much. I continued to vend and show in art galleries with some solo exhibitions along the way. I eventually changed my business name to just “Jazz Torrez” so my name would be attached to my art and products.
I was in need of change, so in June of 2017, I moved to Scottsdale, Arizona and then to Tempe, Arizona a few months later. I worked again teaching kindergarten and then instructing technology classes to primary school students. I currently am a reading teacher for first through fifth-grade students, and it has been a rewarding experience. The learning and the progress of my students are my number one priority at work as an educator. However, it is important to me to be able to balance my job as an educator and my role as an artist. I am still able to work on my own art and artistic projects as well. I create and sell my art, shirts, pins, totes, prints, and other items online and feel it is important to have an online presence, be a vendor, and participate in art shows. I need to create and make art to feel whole because it is a major part of who I am.
Has it been a smooth road?
Not quite so smooth. Most struggles I’ve had have been with myself because of my introversion and letting it get in the way of my success. Most things I’ve been great at, I’ve had to push myself to do and build that confidence necessary to get ahead. These lessons have made me stronger, and it was a necessary process. It took a while for me to learn to juggle multiple jobs and to always make time to create. My little piece of advice would be to always be kind to yourself and to not be scared of the path that looks more difficult because it can be very rewarding.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with your work – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I am an artist, designer, and educator. As an artist and crafter, I do mostly drawing and painting. As part of my business as a designer, I create products like graphic shirts, totes, zines, enamel pins, buttons, art prints, and other items. All art is original art, and my branded items are under my name, “Jazz Torrez.” I have self-published a book of stories and illustrations called Videoglitter and two zines, Fruit Salad and Fruit Salad: Volume Two. Last year, I illustrated the cover of a published book called Voices From the Past by my uncle, Robert Torrez. It is currently a finalist for the 2018 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards for best non-fiction cover.
Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
Success for me is having an occupation that I am proud of, where I am making a difference, and I am using my creativity to craft as much as I can. It takes work, time, and some sacrifice. Being raised in El Paso, Texas contributed to my idea of success for me as an artist and educator. The culture is beautiful, and the city borders Juarez, Mexico. I would say that the art shows I’ve been the most proud of were in El Paso, and there is a certain magic to that city. As I mentioned earlier, I was raised an only child, and I think that being the only one gave me this drive to be the best I could be, to strive for good grades, and to try and participate in as much as I could. I had this idea, like, “well they only had one kid, so I better be a good one!” I’ve also always been aware that I have great parents that have always shown me endless love and worked very hard, so they were great role models.
Contact Info:
- Website: jazztorrez.com
- Email: jazztorrez@gmail.com
- Instagram: jazztorrez
Image Credit:
All photos of Jazz Torrez taken by Christopher Trian
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