Putting In The Hours: Gabriel D'elia
A blog dedicated to highlighting people putting in the hours towards their goals and mastering their crafts. If you didn't know it by now, Hours is a brand celebrating the dream chasers, the ones who will stop at nothing to get what they want. Our goal with this blog is to share the stories behind these dream chasers, their successes, their failures, and what it truly takes to make it. We hope that by highlighting these people we can inspire others to also start putting in the hours.
We're excited to announce our first feature, a Brooklyn-based artist named Gabriel D'Elia. He's the definition of someone who doesn't give up and will do whatever it takes to to make his dreams come true. We'll be sharing his journey towards becoming a full time artist and what continues to keep him at the top of his game.
Alongside this feature, we'll also be releasing a capsule collection comprised of exclusive designs that Gabriel did for Hours that we put on some of our most popular garments and a short video spotlight on him. The collection and video drop this Thursday but you can get to know get to know Gabriel ahead of time by reading the interview we did with him below:
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Gabriel D’elia, I am a painter based in Brooklyn NY in Crown Heights. I was born in Washington DC and my family is from Argentina.
How has living in New York shaped you as an artist?
Living in New York as a creative definitely changes you. Just in general, people watching, going into a store and overhearing a crazy ass conversation or anything can lead to a lot of inspiration. The city life is definitely portrayed in my paintings.
What does your art represent?
I've definitely spent a lot of time trying to understand that it means. I think characters like the the bank robber to me symbolizes an artist that’s trying to break into the art world and have financial stability. I think thats one of the most difficult things for creatives is to have consistent work followed along with recognition that’s needed to do what you love full time.
I like the concept of the robber trying to break open the safe and sometimes I’ll add a comical twist to it where his arms are floating off his body and he’s so close to opening the safe. I feel like a lot of creatives that stay in the game for a long time feel that. Maybe they get one opportunity that’s amazing and then 10 months go by and they don’t see anything.
It’s a constant hustle and I like to think that I represent that hustle.
What advice do you have for creatives starting their careers?
At the end of the day it really is dependent on you, your drive, and how much you believe in yourself. I do believe what you think in your perspective is exactly what you’re gonna project.
I think the main thing I can say is to always shoot your shot. Even if your art isn’t developed yet, that comes with time and practise. You end up bumping into things that inspire you and evolve your work. It’s one of the main reasons why I moved here. The energy, the vibe, the creativity, for me, this is the mecca of art.
What does putting in the hours mean to you?
Putting in the hours to me means everything - it means improving my work. It means that I’m showing myself that I’m dedicated to this journey of being a full time artist and continuing to be a full time artist. I do believe the only way to improve is to practice and put in the hours. Without that, you stay in the same place and I’m not the of creator that likes to stay comfortable just because something is working. I always like to evolve and improve my work. Theres a lot of people that wanna do this full time and I think it’s important to show that and evolve the art in general.
You never know who you’re gonna inspire.
