Meet Josh Litos | Artist & Painter

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

Hi Josh, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Taking risks is really important for my art practice. I am constantly experimenting and trying new things and that leaves more room for the magic to happen when making work.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art practice come from my background as a painter. I get most excited about color theory and the formal qualities of somewhat mundane moments or objects that I stumble upon in my environment. I’m also really interested in and enjoy humor, and that plays a key role in my work. I started on the path of being an artist later than most but I have received both a BFA and MFA in painting, and continue to create new and exciting works. Being an artist is never easy, but if it was easy I probably wouldn’t do it. I enjoy problem solving and experimentation and art has been a wonderful place to tamper and play with those concepts. My work is silly, bright, and yet still varied. I don’t get to comfortable in one way of making and am always trying to move and hold on to the principle of getting out of my comfort zone.

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.
Some of my favorite spots in Houston are related to food. As of recently it has not been as accessible due to the virus but I still hold onto the future of going to these spots. One of them would be New York Deli and Coffee. This little gem is a really amazing bagel shop/diner located on Hillcroft close to South Braeswood, by far one of my favorite breakfast spots. Another great spot to eat would be Captain Tom’s Seafood and Oyster Bar. Although this place is a little far out from the inner loop of Houston, the raw oysters are fresh (during season) and cheap. This place also has the best micheladas around, great place for a couple dozen oysters and a few drinks. The Moon Tower Inn is a great place for a few outside drinks, and maybe a wild game bratwurst; located on the east side of downtown. As far as places to hang out at or visit, I really enjoy all the museums in Houston; the MFAH, the Menil, and the Museum of Natural Science. One of my all time favorite places to frequent though is the Houston Zoo. I’m not really a big fan of most zoos, but this one is super clean and well maintained and the animals are all rescues. I can and have spent countless number of days at the zoo, just spending time or sketching some of the animals.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shoutout to my family for always being supportive of my endeavors and creativity. I could never have gotten this far without their love and support.

Website: joshlitos.com
Instagram: @madlitos