Born 1976

[Show as slideshow]

Education: Studied at Associates in Art (Los Angeles, California)

Under Mark Westermoe 1999-2000

Teaching: Associates in Art (Los Angeles, California) 2000-2002

• Figure drawing
• Figure quick sketch
• Head drawing

Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art (Van Nuys, California) 2002-present

• Figure drawing
• Figure quick sketch
• Head drawing
• Figure painting
• Plein air landscape painting
• Work shop – Charcoal methods and materials
• Work shop -Landscape painting in Cabo SanLucas, Mexico

Art Center School of Design (Pasadena, California) 2004-present

• Figure drawing
• Head drawing

Galleries: Frederic Stern Gallery (Pasadena, California) 2007-present

Articles: American Artist (July 2006 issue) “Making Rapid Progress in Painting” by M. Stephen Doherty

(An eight-page article featuring numerous full-color paintings and drawings and detailing guiding aesthetic principles)

Associations: Mentor Member of the California Art Club 2005-present

Artist Statement and Biography:

My work focuses on my perceptions of present day life and is greatly influenced by my memories of growing up in two different worlds: the Mexico of my ancestors and the Los Angeles of my urban friends. This juxtaposition makes my vision and my work unique. I am moving forward with a new skill to document life around me. My goal is to continuously record new experiences, focusing on interactions between people and their surroundings, both here in the United States and globally.

I was born in Mexico City in 1976 and moved with my family to the United States in 1979. Growing up in many parts of Los Angeles, I was exposed to many forms of aesthetic expression and always possessed a deep interest in art.

My emphasis on storytelling, shape, value, color and design has been apparent throughout my formative years. My early art was inspired by the visual storytelling of comic books. As an adolescent, the intricate shapes and designs of graffiti heavily influenced me during the b-boy era. Later, the popularity of the skate boarding and snow boarding industries supported illustration jobs in which I designed logos, clothing, and graphics for boards. In [the mid-1990s], I became a tattoo artist and focused my energies in that field for approximately five years, in addition to my illustration work.

In 1999, I decided to go to art school and chose a private school, Associates in Art, where I studied under Mark Westermoe, Bill Perkins, Kevin Chen and many others. During this time, I was exposed to artists such as Fechin, Zorn, Sorolla, Cornwell, Brangwin, Leyendecker and Velasquez, as well as Chinese and Russian academic work. I was also heavily influenced during this time by little known Mexican artist Saturnino Herran. Under this direction, my education consisted of a structured approach to drawing and painting from life, live models, landscapes, and still life. After a year and a half of study at the school, due to my rapid progress, I was invited to teach there, which I did from 2000 to 2002. In 2002, I began teaching at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art, where I continue to be an instructor today. I also currently teach at the Art Center School of Design in Pasadena, California, where I have been an instructor since 2004.