MY BACKGROUND

Welcome to Rio Clarito Structural Art 

...and its unique Gallery of what can be.

Meet Joe Perez, design director of J.Perez Design, Ocala, Florida ...and founder of Rio Clarito’s Taino Stonesmiths Workshop. Joe was born in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico. He was raised and educated in New York (H.S. of Art and Design, NYC Comm. College, SUNY New Paltz). Joe and his wife share a home and studio in Ocala, Florida. They have four grown children and eight “apple of our eye” grandchildren. Here, Joe expresses his loving plans and aspirations for Rio Clarito:

 “I was very fortunate early on in my apprenticeships in Manhattan. Yes, I had more than one apprenticeship, way more than one phenomenal mentor- in both graphic and structural design. I have nothing but sincere gratitude for the creative grunt work and discipline they required of me. Those things help my creativity manifest and flourish to this day!

Men like Frank Shina invented, among lots of other styles, the ubiquitous 1-2-3 bottom style box. Frank started off as a die maker in Ohio and constructed the die for the very first Automatic Bottom box. Not only am I grateful for Mr. Shina but, in Graphic Design I also remember and acknowledge with gratitude, Mr. Bill Bua, the Sicilian dynamo, who was multitasking long before it was ever a thing. Bill taught me tons of “tricks” and techniques. Graphic packaging designing has its own set of demands, and I learned a lot under his wing.

All of this, coupled with all of my own contributions to package design over the years- combine to produce Rio Clarito the website, an endeavor that I hope will be helpful to many people. I have mentored many young people myself. And I would encourage anyone who is as curious as I was (and still am) about the fascinating worlds of Design and Art- to keep in touch with Rio Clarito, where I hope to share helpful tips, tricks and thoughts, much as I was lucky enough to receive from the people I’ve worked with.”

“You know how it goes, folks... give and ye shall receive.”

J.Perez Madrugada, Ocala, Florida