Marcello Daldoce comes from an illustration and advertising background in Sao Paolo, Brazil. And he's never been to college. One night during his time here in New York, he spilled some wine across a canvas and suddenly he's painting large-scale portraits of naked women.

Chief Magazine: How long have you been here in New York? 

Marcello Daldoce: Three and a half months .

And where are you from? 

Brazil.

And you were born and raised there.  Did you come here to work? 

No, I came here to have English classes.  I work with illustration in Brazil--advertising illustrations--and I came here to study English.  I started to paint canvases in Brazil, and when I stayed here I had room to work on canvas.  My roommate knew about canvas and he said, “I can buy the canvas for you.”  He bought the canvas and I started to paint one, then two, then three--so it’s become big, you know.

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You had never painted before? 

Just little paintings.

You did little stuff--and you were doing illustration in Brazil?

Just for advertising.  I used Photoshop and other programs.  Small illustrations, never big illustrations.  I worked with two art directors.  Here in New York I started to do my own work.  And that’s it. 

So that’s what you do in Brazil?  Ed [Zipco] mentioned that you have a company?

I have an illustration company with three friends.  We have this company that’s just advertising--guys ask us to make illustrations for layouts, for storyboards, and we just work on advertising.  Each one has his personal work.  My personal work is with watercolors--but small watercolors.  Here I started to do these big acrylics--that was with wine.  Before I tried that one, I made a lot of tests, because wine--it’s different.. 

What made you decide to start using wine?

I was painting with watercolor and drinking wine, and accidentally the wine dropped onto the paper.  And I said, “Oh, it’s a good effect!”  And I started to draw with it--the best part is that I have two glasses of wine, one to paint with and the other one I drink.  People ask me “How much wine do you need to paint one canvas?”  One bottle is enough, but I use just a little bit.  The rest I drink.  It’s the best part.  I tried all the kinds--the chardonnay is the worst. 

Kind of like a chef... the best part is that you’re making something you can eat.  The show that you have on Friday [January 11th], will it be your first show?

For sure.  In Brazil, I’ve never done a show.  You know, here things become so big--one canvas, two canvases; I think I have twelve canvases now.  We have the idea to open here and try to invite a lot of galleries.  I’d like to see my work in galleries--one gallery.  I don’t mind not selling work, but I’d really like to see two or three in some gallery.  I’m trying to invite a lot of guys and galleries and we’ll see what happens.  I’m going to Brazil on the fifteenth of January and when I return, I’ll see what’s happened.

Do you know anything about the Brazilian art scene?  How is it different?

I never tried to do openings or paintings or this kind of thing in Brazil, but I know people and it’s different.  Here it’s the big thing--things that happen here, everybody watches.  In Brazil it’s small.  I’ve never tried; it’s difficult.  I don’t know.  When I return, maybe I’ll try to paint and see what happens.

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What’s your subject matter?  What does it mean to you?

All the time I draw naked girls.  I prefer this. 

[laughs]

I worked with designers a long time, in advertising.  So words, for me, are really good.  I like this.  So I started to draw girls and put words with them, and it started to become this style.

It looks like the same person.  Is it the same girl?

Yes, my girlfriend. [laughs]

I figured!  So you work from life, or do you choose to work from just memory? 

I usually have an idea--a memory--and I take a picture with the position that I imagine.  When I paint, I just like to put details and lights, the best details on the face.

Did you go to college? 

Never been to college.  I did a lot of small courses and things when I was sixteen.  But I started working really early in agencies and small studios.  I think I learned to deal with a lot of different people.