Travel and living among diverse communities have been central to my development as an artist and educator. In particular, my experiences in Hispanic communities throughout the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean have deeply informed my understanding of cultural identity, landscape, and the human connections that shape both.
My recent work is primarily through painting, using oil and oil bar to build layered, large-format abstractions. Color, texture, shifting forms, and accumulated marks allow images to evolve gradually, often over months or years through a process of revision and discovery. These paintings reflect seasonal transitions, remembered landscapes, and the expressive force of nature, while also responding to concern for ecological vulnerability and the future of our shared environment.
Alongside my studio practice, I have long believed that art can create space for dialogue, empathy, and public engagement. Since 2006, I have founded and coordinated the Human Rights Art Exhibition, an international platform for artists addressing human rights, social justice, and environmental issues. The exhibition is intended not only as a presentation of art, but also as an educational forum where artists, students, and community members can engage and reflect on difficult subjects.
I have held faculty positions at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico and South Texas College, and held Academic Dean positions at Lane Community College and College of the Sequoias (current position), and served as the Visiting Fulbright Research Chair in Human Rights and Social Justice at the Human Rights Research and Education Center (HRREC), University of Ottawa, Canada. Recently, I was awarded the 2024-25 Stanford University EPIC Leadership Fellowship.
Education & honors
- MFA, Instituto Allende, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
- BA, California State University, Sacramento
- AA, Cabrillo College, Aptos, California
- Faculty of the Year Award, South Texas College
- NISOD Excellence Award, Texas
Select news & exhibitions
Art
Figure
I am usually motivated by something I find uncommon in the subject when deciding on a new work. You could say uncommon beauty, but in a broad or unconventional way of appreciating beauty. Unlike my work in other genres, I usually don't work in a series, but I would find something appealing in an individual, finish the work, and then move on to the next subject. More recently this has changed as my subject matter is more related to social justice issues such as society's classification and implied value of workers, professional titles, and the under-appreciation of blue-collar work in traditional rural communities.
Abstract
My abstract work has developed as a personal response to the overly cold and impersonal culture in our modern society, my fascination with nature, and my growing concerns about our environment. In the last two decades I have seen technology change the basic way many people communicate and interact, both socially and professionally. Although I myself frequently use these same technologies, I find myself often reminiscing for a simpler life that does not rely on technology for happiness or entertainment. Most recently the abstractions have focused on nature, changes in climate and seasons, peace, and my growing concerns about the environment.
Nature
This genre reflects observations from travel and various places I have lived. I usually try to explore one subject or theme by developing a series of similar pieces while varying color schemes and levels of realism or abstraction. I am often drawn toward examples of repetition and harmony in nature when choosing subject matter. These patterns observed in the actual world often serve as memories or compositional inspirations when working in more abstract work.