Born in Arizona, I spent most of my adolescence on a ranch in Double Adobe near the US/Mexico boarder. My father‚Äôs job as a rancher and conservationist took my family from Virginia to California and places in between. The time I spent on the Navajo Reservation as a boy left a strong impression and is often a source of inspiration for my work. I enjoyed drawing as long as I can remember. I’m predominantly an oil painter, but enjoy exploring charcoal, gouache, and other mediums.
Statement
Making art connects me with others, and I feel it is a duty and a privilege to put beautiful things into the world. Whether I am painting the figure, calaveras, or western art, it is my life and experiences that conjure what I create. Western art helps me explore my identity as a Mexican Apache, and share the beauty of the Southwest. My calaveras reveal a great reverence for life and are vignettes into my memories and dreams. I love the mystery, beauty, and challenge in figurative work, and it never fails to further hone my skills. Sometimes I blend these different genres in a single composition in order to impart a profound sense of wonder, and a desire to share my story and beautiful things.