Stop by Volta during this month’s Art Walk and check out the “Calle 8″ series of paintings by local artist Josh Pusey. This series is inspired by the music, culture, and life of a stretch of road in the Little Havana area of Miami. The artist uses bright, vibrant colors to convey the everyday lives of a people living in exile.

Josh grew up in Miami, Florida and realized as a child that he often preferred the bright world of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera to the grim and changing world around him…and even as he was pursuing artistic realism, these cartoons, as well as the art of Filmation’s Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids were early and lasting influences.

And Miami itself has been an influence. His appreciation for artistic diversity and curiosity of different cultures were born there, as well as a slightly less than healthy love for cuban coffee.

In the past year, his paintings have been informed by the early influences of ’70′s/80′s cartoons, the art of Miami pop artist David “LEBO” Le Batard, and the work of Ernie Barns.