If you were at the Essence Festival in New Orleans, there’s a good chance you saw Carlos Santana Dill-Trott. He was there, July 1-3, flogging his art and raising his profile on the international scene. It’s all part of an effort that started when he quit his job to pursue his passion three years ago. The 30-year-old spoke with Lifestyle about the experience.

Q: How did you get into the festival?

A: I applied for it online with my management company, PinkSand Entertainment. We were looking for a new way of showcasing my art. I applied and was accepted to take part.

Q: Had you been there before?

A: It was my first time at the festival. It was amazing — the culture, the atmosphere, meeting and getting to know people. Everybody was just amazing.

Q: Were there lots of Bermudians there?

A: I was the only Bermudian participating but others attended the festival. I had my mom, my dad, my godma and my cousin with me helping out. I didn’t know [in advance] of any other Bermudians that were to be there. [Those who saw me came over] and congratulated me. I got messages on my phone saying, ‘We’re here. Where’s your booth?’

Q: What was the atmosphere like?

A: It was like Harbour Nights times one million. It ran from 9am to 6.30pm every day, so long hours.

Q: Why did you want to be there?

A: Networking [opportunities]. I met a lot of important people. People from Essence magazine, Essence TV interviewed me.

Q: What kind of art do you do?

A: I do a range of dotted drawings called stippling. What that is is a drawing made of tiny dots to create one big picture. The most popular piece [at the festival] was [of the late heavyweight champion] Muhammad Ali. I also had [the late entertainer] Prince and Maya Angelou. They were all well received.

Q: Where can people see your work?

A: My artwork is also currently being displayed at Hamilton Princess in the Luxury Gifts store, and at Masterworks Gallery where my vintage Bermuda maps are.

Q: Where do you go from here?

A: I’m planning two art shows on the island this year although I haven’t worked out the details yet. One in September and one in November.

Q: And you’ve been doing this full-time for three years?

A: I used to work at Hamilton Princess but left in 2013 to pursue my passion, which is my art. It’s going pretty good for me right now. It started off slow but starting to pick up. I just want to succeed, not just on the island, but internationally. [The Essence Festival was my] first opportunity and I hope to continue on with that.

Q: How do people contact you?

A: carlosantanartistry.com; Facebook: carlosantartistry; Instagram: LiveLoveArt_7; Twitter: CarloSantanArtistry