What is the best thing that I love about my work? That is directly related to my passion since I can remember, which is art. I totally feel in control of my future because art is in my nature while I enjoy the challenge of exploring and reinventing myself as much as I need to as an artist through my life, combining creativity and dynamism.

What is my idea of perfect happiness? LOVE and HEALTH. Loving and receiving Love, and projecting that feeling in anything I do like my work. Feeling love is empowering and pushes your creativity to the top, and if Health is on your side, nothing can stop you.

What is my greatest fear? Personally is the idea of losing the ability of expressing myself and feeling lost without love. I hope I will always be able to keep my head and hands in good conditions for a very long time untill the last of my days.

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? There are a few I guess. Probably the main one is impatience and another one is procrastinating some ideas which I will then see been executed in time by someone else.

Which living persons in my profession do I most admire? Definitely all the artists that work hard and show incredible progressions in their work. Also people that combine their talent at work with generosity, humbleness and an open mind to their co-workers.

What is my greatest extravagance? I am really not an extravagant person and live a very simple life in a very small town that not many people know.

On what occasion would I lie? To avoid hurting someone else’s feelings

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? That it always looks worse next day with fresh eyes!!

When and where was I the happiest, in my work? Everytime I achieve an important gold or I am awarded a project at my studio, but maybe a very important/special one was when I got my first job as a Digital artist after over 15 years as a traditional sculptor. That moment totally transformed my professional life.

If I could, what would I change about myself? I definitely need to be more disciplined and organised. I feel my head has far too many ideas and is overwhelming because it feels a bit like they are loose and mixed in a big sack.

What is my greatest achievement in work? I never thought I would be able to put aside the clay, marble and bronze and sit comfortably in front of a computer at home creating art one day and make money out of it. And especially showing to some people that, Yes!, you can make a living from art.

Where would I most like to live? In Spain and maybe close to Valencia in a beautiful village in the heart of a natural forest park and close to the Mediterranean sea called Serra ….. Wait! Is where I live!! 😀 I lived and worked in many, many countries in my life, but I chose this place because is has the perfect balance for me to call it home.

What is my most treasured possession? The feeling of freedom. That has no price and is not on sale. I do and go where I want and my family are always with me. I Loose interest on any material thing with time, in fact the feeling of not having many possessions makes me feel more free and happy.

What is my most marked characteristic? I am determined and honest.

What is my most inspirational location, in my city? I chose this place to live and work because of the location. I am surrounded by beautiful mountains and mediterranean forest. The views, pure air and tranquility are an important part in my inspiration. My house is my inspirational location.

What is my favourite place to eat and drink, in my city? I became Vegan in Los Angeles almost 5 years ago. Lucky enough Valencia which is my favourite city in Spain and is just at 30 minutes drive from my house has plenty of amazing Vegan places to eat. Jardin Urbano is one I would recommend. https://www.tripadvisor.es/Restaurant_Review-g187529-d5860069-Reviews-Jardin_Urbano-Valencia _Province_of_Valencia_Valencian_Country.html.

What books influenced my life and how? I have to admit that I am more of a visual and manual learner. That means that observation and practice has influenced my life far more than books. Since I was a little kid I was obsessed with human and animal shapes and anatomy, so if I had to talk about any books that would definitely be anatomy books like any of the super successful editions of Frederic Delavier.

Who are my favorite writers? I would much prefer to refer to artists that wrote books than writers that wrote novels. Frederic Delavier and Andrew Loomis are maybe the first ones that come to my mind.

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day? I like almost any music as long as there is more melody than noise to it, and there is a kind of music for every moment, but quite honestly in my last day I rather listen to my son than any kind of music because that is the last sound I would like my ears to listen if I could choose.

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? Anyone that makes me laugh and have fun for some time.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? Anyone that really does something important like saving lives putting theirs at risk. Anyone that works making or inventing something that will take an important step in human history in technology or medicine. Anyone that has empathy and acts accordingly taking into account everything and everyone.

Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime? Brain Dead for a laugh and one of the beginnings of Weta Workshop, Schindler´s List to make you think about history and because is one of the best from Spielgberg, and Casino or Reservoir Dogs just because Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese are unique

What role plays art in my life and work? It plays THE ROLE. I have no plan B

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? My wife and son that always come with me and support me no matter what I do or go next.

Whom would I like to work with in 2019/2020? There are many studios and people that come to my mind, but definitely my most precious and final goal is to work with my own ideas and sell my work as an individual artist in resin, bronze, marble and that is my plan from next year.

Which people in my profession would i love to meet in 2019/2020? I will be more than happy to meet any artists but especially people that I can learn from or be inspired from.

What project, in 2019/2020, am I looking forward to work on? I am definitely going to try to open a new business path parallel to my CG studio, going back to my traditional artist routes, combining everything I’ve learned as a digital artist with my previous traditional sculptor experience.

Where can you see me or my work in 2019/2020? This is where you can find all info about me:  https://www.rafazabalastudio.com http://www.artstation.com/artist/rafilla
http://www.linkedin.com/in/RafaZabala http://www.facebook.com/rafartwork/
https://vimeo.com/115215422 (demo 2014) https://vimeo.com/35862609 (demo 2012)

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? Retirement is not an option in my head because what I do is my passion and makes me happy. This is what it means 🙂

Which creative heroes should Peter invite to tell their story? I would recommend Jose Maria Andres Martin https://www.linkedin.com/in/alzhem/

How can you contact me?
rafazabala1@gmail.com or in all the links above

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