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Dispatches from the Highlands
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JOE PALEC: THE DOODLER OF DENVER
What began as sketches in a notebook long ago has become an icon of the Colorado landscape. Joe Palec (@joepalec), whose complex, doodle-style art pieces have sprung up across the region not only in the cannabis space, but in murals, products and establishments, took a moment to catch us up on his latest works in the neighborhood. Can you tell us about your journey as an artist? How did you start? I was always good at drawing. Art classes, doodling in my note- book, Pictionary. It all came naturally for me. In later years, it became like a party trick. I'd say “ What do you want me to draw?” and I would draw it. A few times people would say, “Why don't you do more art?” So I gave it a try! I made a few canvases, did some design contests, and then got my own art studio. e rest is history.
How did you nd your way out to Denver from Wisconsin? My mom is from Colo- rado. I grew up in Wisconsin and went to UW Whitewater for a year before I decided I didn't like it. My dad told me I could stick with college and maybe transfer OR move to Colorado with my mom. It was a no brainer. I moved to Colorado. From there I thrived in the cannabis indus- try. I went from sign spinner, to trimmer, to budtender, to sales. e cannabis industry not only gave me a great job career, it also gave me my rst art gigs. I still carry my Midwesterness with me and celebrate my roots. But Denver showed me a life I couldn't have found anywhere else. What or who are your biggest inuences? Artistically, it's the Where’s Waldo books. Since I was a little kid, I loved the idea of art and illustrations to be entertaining. I want to channel that in my artwork. But other than that its lms, TV, music, and any other forms of creative storytelling. e weirder the better. How would you describe your style? Has it evolved over time? I like to call it “extreme doodling.” I could say I illustrate using a stream of consciousness translated through perplexing cartoons until I ll up the page with a plethora of mind bending scenes and whimsical imagery that challenge the rules of perspective. But really, it is just a bunch of doodles mashed together. So why not call it what it is. What themes or messages do you explore in your work? Absurdism and juxtaposition are the two main ingredients to any Joe Palec piece. Like right now, I’m looking at a piece I
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