MONROE — Mauro Magellan is an artist specializing in pencils, oil painting, and dry brush. He is also an author a musician, specifically as a touring rock ’n’ roll drummer. With the art mediums he uses, oil painting is one that he enjoys the most.

“Oil would be my favorite, but I don’t do it as much as the pencil because pencil and ink is what I do for books,” Magellan said. “A lot of publishers, back in the old days, always requested pen and ink. I did a lot of nature books, and I’ve done some illustrated young adult novels, and they wanted pen and ink. I do pencil because of the detail in the shading, but I love oils.”

His favorite art piece he’s created is the cover for Cambio Chameleon, and he believes that, if one loves their art, they should sell it to share it with others.

“One thing about art, and artists will tell you, don’t fall in love and keep your paintings. Send them off to where they need to be,” Magellan said.

He was always interested in doing art, but he got really into it when he moved and had a change of scenery.

“When I moved to Georgia, I always wanted to paint. As a kid, I painted. It was awful, but my father encouraged it. And then when I moved to Georgia, I bought an oil set and really got into it because I just loved the new scenery. I had only seen tropics growing up, so it was really nice to see the temperate climate,” he said.

Magellan has such an appreciation for all kinds of art and believes it is a wonderful way to express one’s emotions, especially anger and sadness. He has been doing some form of art since he was young, basically since he was able to draw and play music.

“I bought a snare drum, and there was nothing (my family) could do about it. They said I couldn’t do music, but I went out and bought a snare drum,” he said.

Magellan has continued with his musical artistry, playing concerts around the world. He’s performed in bands The Georgia Satellites, Generation Jones, Dan Baird and Homemade Sin, and has filled in with The Jimmys.

Magellan is most inspired by other artists, specifically illustrators and the intricate art they are able to create.

“Guys who illustrate nature books, children’s books, just illustrating is really interesting because I’m really bad at it, and I can do my own art, my own characters, but not so much other things,” Magellan said.

Through his travels, he has noticed how different countries and cultures each have some form of art that is special and most common.

“I’ve found, with art, every country has its own thing. Like in Austria, music is big, and every band that I saw, street performer or organized band, they were incredible. And in France, there were of course, painters everywhere. You go to the Promenade, and there’s always a place you can buy art. In Germany, the art was architectural or really good graffiti,” he explained. “America, in the early days, we created the blues, and rock ’n’ roll, and jazz, and we as Americans don’t appreciate that art form enough.”