Meet Ricardo Ales | Artist – BirdCvlt

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ricardo Ales Ales and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ricardo Ales, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I’ve been drawing, pretty much, my entire life. Until I got to college, I had never been told that being an artist was something I could make a career out of. Nobody in my family is an artist, nor did they know any artists, so the thought of doing something like this just never occurred to me. I began college with the intention of majoring in mathematics. I quickly realized I wanted nothing to do with math at the university level and switched my major to music. I figured that might be a good fit for me as I enjoyed playing guitar and singing and had been in a few bands throughout middle and high school. I took a single hour long choir class that was required for this newly declared major and wanted nothing to do with it. I then switched my major to “undeclared” and felt even more lost than before. Winter break had arrived and I was visiting a friend back home. He asked if I wanted to draw with him. I was apprehensive as I had not drawn much in years. We spent the next few hours drawing and I realized what I had been missing. I realized exactly what I wanted to do with my time. Now, fortunately, I did not yet have to consider that this thing I wanted to do had to make me money so that I could live. Regardless, I knew what I wanted to do. The problem then, was to figure out how to make it work. It’s taken 10 years, but here I am and it’s finally working!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Pursuing this dream of mine has not come without its challenges. I’ve always known that I just wanted to fill my days with drawing and support myself/my family with it. It’s taken nearly a decade, but I’ve finally done it. That said, I still fear every day will be the last day that I get to do this; that sometime soon I’ll have to get a “real job” and this will all have been for naught.

Surprisingly to some, I haven’t been working full time as an artist for very long. I spent most of 2021 and half of 2022 teaching 5th grade and before that I was a substitute teacher, among a handful of other odd jobs. It was only earlier this year that I decided give everything I had to pursuing a career as an artist. I quit my job teaching, my my wife, daughter, and I left everything we had known back home and moved to Portland, Oregon.

Over time, I have learned that life is hard no matter what you do, so you may as well give doing what you love a shot.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend visits Portland, they better be ready to eat, walk, and get rained on. Just a heads up, all the food listed here will be vegan, as I’ve been vegan for 10 years and have no plans of quitting. Assuming they arrive in the morning, we’re heading to Chubby Bunny on Belmont for some delicious sausage and egg breakfast sandwiches. Can’t get enough of those! After that, we’ll head over to Laurelhurst Park for a nice walk. This is a park in a beautiful neighborhood with what seems like a billion trees. It’s fantastic and so peaceful. For lunch we would grab Kati, simply the best Thai spot in Portland. Their Spicy Fries, Panang Curry, and Tom Ka Soup are to die for! Next, we’re grabbing second lunch at Gnarlys, which is an insane vegan burger truck on 82nd in Southeast run by some fantastic people. After second lunch, we’d head over to Leach Botanical Garden to check out the trees, flowers, and a bit of Johnson Creek. For dinner, we would grab Rudy’s Gourmet Pizza. I can’t say enough good things about this place. They make some absolutely delicious pizza. It’s only been a day. Can you tell I like to eat.

For the remainder of the trip, basically rinse and repeat with the following: Kenboshi Ramen, Harlow, Habanero Burrito, Shoofly Vegan Bakery, Sweet Pea Vegan Bakery, Mama Dut for delicious vegan Vietnamese, Forest Park for hiking, views of the city, and the International Rose Test Garden, and my goodness I’m realizing there are just too many cool and tasty things to list.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Answering this question, at first, feels like a daunting task, especially if I’m to do with any accuracy. That said, unequivocally, I’d begin with my mom. She has been my champion my entire life. For the longest time, it was just us; with the exception of a handful of our loved ones playing crucial supporting roles in my upbringing. My mom has always made me feel special, capable, powerful, important, the list goes on. My entire life, she has told me to do exactly what I love and never settle. She has always been so holistically supportive of my happiness. Undoubtedly, my mom deserves credit and recognition in my story.

Second, and perhaps equally as important, are all the artists I have been inspired by throughout my life. That list is endless and continues to grow. Many, I admire from afar and some, I have had the privilege of calling a friend. You know who you are.

Website: www.BIrdcvlt.net

Instagram: BIrdcvlt