Hello!
My name is Carlos Burgos. I'm a Brooklyn NY born-and-raised artist who learned drawing and painting from the streets, in the 80s and 90s graffiti art scene. I was involved in gang activity, but art saved my life, literally. Instead of participating in violent activities, I was busy drawing in "Black Books", hoping to impress NYC's finest street taggers and writing crews, like Audie and HD from the NYC-based writing crew, U5.
When I was 15, I traveled to Oklahoma to paint my first commissioned job for $30, where my criminal affiliation potential diminished even more. After that commission, I spent the following 20+ years traveling the U.S, where I painted murals and developing my entrepreneurial skills. School was not a priority.
I struggled as a student and found success as a gypsy artist. I did a semester here and there, but art jobs took me away.
I was painting a mural in Portland Oregon, when I was approached by Wilson Smith, one of Nike's senior designers. He invited me to visit the Nike campus, introduced me to some designers, and challenged me to transition to digital art, where I would be able to have a sustainable career. I took his advice and transitioned to digital art. I took courses in college but dropped out after getting my first freelance graphic design job that paid me $5,000. I figured I must be good enough, why continue with school?
I picked up photography because I wanted to create every element of the design process. I didn't see it, but I was slowly veering away from the tangible medium of art. I followed a rabbit hole that led me into the world of graphic design and job interviews.
In June of 2020, my wife and I moved our boys to Florida to live a more affordable life and where I began my teaching career as one of three art teachers in Perkins Elementary in Pinellas County. I've been blessed to have been given this opportunity to get reacquainted with my love of art and to be teaching it from an urban city point-of-view, while still sticking with the Florida Standards.
