Background

I am a native of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, and began drawing at the age of six. A year later I received my first set of oils and painting lessons from a neighborhood artist who took an interest in my young artistic abilities. At age eleven I won an art school scholarship to the renown Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes (I.N.B.A.) in Mazatlán, from which I graduated in 1978. Since then I have made a living teaching, through commercial art, and working as a fine artist, winning many awards at both the state and national level, including first place in the national competition, Carteles Alucivos a la Contaminación Ambiéntal in 1973.

Artistic Influences

During my youth, Mazatlán was a port town bordered by jungle and often in the path of hurricanes.  I grew up on a ranch amid cows, horses, dogs, cats, snakes, scorpions and tarantulas.  The sea, the landscape and the surrounding animal life, such important features of my childhood, would later find their way into my artwork.

My family includes many musicians. As a youngster I was a keen observer of the traditional costumes and body paint used by the Matachines, groups of indigenous dancers that included my mother. My artistic sensibilities were also greatly influenced by the music I heard played within my family circle and on the streets of Mazatlán, by the sounds of my environment and by the huge carnival culture of Mazatlán.  The art school that I attended was located across the street from the Patronato de Carnaval de Mazatlán, the headquarters whereto carnival festivities were prepared.  I was able to watch the construction of carnival floats, attend the auditions of dancers and musicians, and was fascinated by the elaborate costumes that were a late part of the festivities.

My artistic development was also informed by Mexican folk art traditions and my exposure to the work of the Mexican painters Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Rufino Tamayo, as well as early 20th century European painters.

Fine Art

In 2008 I met my current wife and moved to her hometown of Corte Madera to be with her.  I fell in love with the Marin County landscape and sought to capture through landscape painting the mood of its ever-changing atmosphere.

But as an immigrant I have a piece of my heart in both countries, and the subject of many of my paintings, especially my abstract work, is rooted in my Mexican heritage.

My fine art work includes landscapes, commissioned portraits and abstract works in watercolor, oil, acrylic and pastels, as well as murals such as those in the Capilla La Milagrosa, Plaza Maya Shopping Center in Mazatlán, in the historic St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Stockton, CA. and in other public sites.  I participated in creating group murals for the San Rafael Canal Alliance and in 2010 directed a group of school children in the creation of a tile mural for their school building in Aromas, CA.  I have also worked with mosaic and sculpture.