Interview with Australian mural artist Damian Cazaly

Australian mural artist Damian Cazaly has been part of Book An Artist almost since its conception. Based in Melbourne, Damian has been painting and creating for over a decade. His work can be found all across Melbourne as he has extensive experience working with councils, communities and local corporations to create exquisite murals. Some of his favourite pieces were for The Richmond Football Club, local hospitals, hotels and breweries. We asked Damian to take the time to talk to us about his experience as an artist using Book An Artist.

What is your earliest memory of creating art?

D: It’d be my mum. My mum was an artist. She would come into preschool and show the kids how to paint. That’s definitely one of my first memories.

How would you describe your art style now?

D: I guess I do a lot of realistic portraiture, but I try to tie in abstract elements. I also incorporate lots of native flora and fauna as well. I find incorporating a detailed portrait with more colours and patterns flying around works really well for mural painting. Abstract elements help colour larger sections of wall.

What do you enjoy most about your artist process?

D: I like working large. I like the physical nature to it and there is a lot of problem solving with large scale mural work. It’s all about learning new things, finding new ways to cover the surface better or faster or using different brushes or spray cans or even towels. Problem solving is the heart of creativity from the start.

Do you have a dream mural project?

D: I think any artist has the ultimate mural in their head. The ultimate mural for me would be something I could just throw every trick land and of course, have the time and the money to be able to see it come to fruition. The most influential murals to me are by Mexican artists such as Diego Rivera and Clemente Orozco. I travelled to Mexico specifically to see their murals and they did not disappoint. The ultimate mural is anything big and colourful and to have it interwoven with the history of the space.

What other artists do you find yourself taking influence from?

D: Initially those big names like Frida Kahlo, whose works have been reproduced on so many different levels, never fail to inspire. But, I think that creativity on Instagram or social media has made it more accessible for artists for find new inspiration. The thing I enjoy the most is artists are willing to show their process and even their mistakes and their reworks and I find that so refreshing. Initially, when it was just the great artists you’d just see the finished project and it always seemed so out of reach. Whereas in the modern age, with discovering more of the process, artists are able to connect with each other and inspire each other through that.

How long have you been using Book An Artist?

D: It would have been 2019 when I joined. It was just before the pandemic essentially. From the get-go it was really beneficial to me.

What has been your favourite part of using Book An Artist as an Australian mural artist?

D: “The app! But moreso, the simplicity of talking to clients, looking at earnings and seeing open jobs in the area. Before Book An Artist artists were looking at Facebook pages, public announcements and tenders for government artworks, etc. Which are all important, but it’s nice that it’s all centralised. I also love how Book An Artists allows me to get in touch with clients that aren’t able to find me.”

How do you work with customers? What does your typical process look like?

D: Generally, I will try to get an idea of what the customer wants fire and foremost. Whether that ben an image they show me or a certain style that they want to have. I really try get us all on the same page. Now that I’ve got my head around digital art and using Procreate on an iPad, that’s been invaluable in a sense to be able to create something that the client knows exactly what they’re going to get before I start painting. There are no blurred lines.

What advice would you share with new artists looking to get their foot in the door? 

D: Charge for transport, petrol – all that stuff is important. Find a good art supplier – generally the little guys, “the corner store paint shop” – they’ll help you out vs big business. Charge a flat rate for your paints and incorporate them into your quote. You’ll always want to have paint left over, build up your supply basis, after 10-15 jobs, you’ll build up a collection to carry over into your next job. Good quality paints, spray cans, paintbrushes. I charge roughly $100-250 for art supplies for each job. 

Quoting is notoriously difficult. Any further tips for artists struggling to price their time?

D: I think if you’ve been working for 12 months and you’ve never had a client come back saying your quote is “slightly out of our budget” then you should charge more. I think it’s important not to go under your worth. It’s a huge thing that echoes across the industry. No one questions a plumber when they quote a price to fix your sink or faucet. I think there is a problem within the creative industry that because you love what you’re doing that you will do it at a discounted price.