Tell us about the cover?
The cover piece is 4’x4’ and was done with spray paint and acrylic. I feel the title, “Mylovelifedeath,” says it all for this one. The painting revolves around my fascination with the Mexican celebration of Dia de los Muertos. Celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed. It’s the same tone I’m going for with my un-naturally happy Calaveras. Though I have other ideas to pursue in painting and drawing, I think I will always enjoy coming back to square one, painting muertos.

What got you started in your artistic endeavors?
It all started with the desire to entertain myself, and my family. I used to create strange characters which I gave bizarre names. Have you heard of a beep-tong? Unless you’re in my immediate family, then you probably haven’t. If you have, well, my secret must have leaked out somewhere. Must have been that napkin drawing at Tokyo Garden. I knew that was a bad idea. Side note, I was and still am a nerd, a fact that I’m quite comfortable with now. I was always lost in my imagination as a kid, and my father, a true Renaissance man, recognized this and always encouraged me to create. Growing up I drew primarily from my imagination and found it a challenge to replicate nature. Throughout the years this challenge, along with different experiences and new interests, pushed me to create the mix of realism and fantasy that I’m doing now.

How long have you been creating art here in Fresno?
I was born in Fresno a year after my family moved from Albuquerque. So I guess I’ve been drawing since I was about two. Or, that’s the earliest drawing I have anyway, a floaty head thing with some spider-like fingers. You should see it, true brilliance. Hah!

Has Fresno or the Fresno Art scene had any influence or effect on your work?
Yes, absolutely. A whole new world was opened to me when I took some drawing classes at the college level. Anne Scheid, Stephanie Ryan, Dan Nadaner, Nannete Maki-Dearson, and John Sierra were all teachers who helped me to develop my style. I felt like my other classroom was downtown Fresno. I was inspired and fascinated by a variety of artists creating murals with spray paint around central and downtown Fresno. After graduating from Fresno State, I rented out a studio at Broadway Studios where I soaked in the creative vibes that ran thick in that building. I learned from and was impacted by the artists I came to know as colleagues and friends at Broadway and the old H Street.

How would you describe your style?
A mix of realism and fantasy. Sometimes it can fall into a folk art area when I’m painting Dia de los Muertos Calaveras / Day of the Dead skeletons, (a tradition from Mexico that falls on Nov 2nd and 3rd ). Mozart has a quote about his idea of death that reflects the way it’s commonly thought of in Mexico, in contrast to the common view of death in America. This view, that was much different from my own, struck me as a teen and I have been working with the idea ever since, sometimes in subtle ways and in other more obvious ways. Acknowledging the presence of death helps me to remember how truly remarkable our existence is.

“As death, when we come to consider it closely, is the true goal of our existence, I have formed such close relationships with this best and truest friend of mankind that death's image is not only no longer terrifying to me, but is indeed very soothing and consoling…of learning that death is the key which unlocks the door to our true happiness. I never lie down at night without reflecting that, young as I am, I may not live to see another day...”
—Mozart

If someone wanted to see more of your work, how would they go about that?
I will have some work up for Art Hop at Milano in the Fulton mall. Showing along with me will be the very talented artist, and one of my closest friends, Armine Sargsyan. Come by to see some art, and enjoy all that Milano has to offer. You can reach me by email at bacagiel3@gmail.com or at myspace.com/calacabaca. One final thing:
Family, Baka Girls and David! I Love you all, without you I would have no reason to create.