Arenas Garcia

Arenas Garcia began life in 1943 in the coastal village of Pacific Grove, California. Living by the sea during his first years left him with a lifelong desire to be near the water’s edge. He finds both comfort and exhilaration in the beauty of the shoreline. Prior to his career as a potter, Arenas studied extensively, investigating many
different art media. He developed his early painting technique in courses at Cerritos College, Fullerton College in 1964 and earned a BA in Fine Art and a teaching credential in Art at California State University at Fullerton in 1973. He studied watercolor under a published artist, Al Porter, and ceramics under Jerry Rothmann, a master sculptor and ceramist. After CSUF, Arenas completed postgraduate coursework at the University of California at San Diego for two years. He also studied design, history of art, oceanic art, advanced life drawing, photo serigraphy (silk screening), and other media.

Arenas Garcia began his career in art as a potter, working with ceramic design. The earthen and organic nature of his work was reflected in the name he gave to his business, Environmental Clay. For thirty-two years he taught fine art to new generations of students and began to fulfill his gift for the paper and canvas. To this day an early goal remains: That his lines be both fluid and honest. He does not work in a representational manner; rather, his feeling toward the object influences his interpretation. He modifies, changes and abstracts unique shapes that appeal to him artistically, emotionally, and intellectually. He creates these shapes as he sees them in his own mind.

In 1997 for three years, Arenas Garcia has studied advanced printmaking techniques under master printer Gary Hansmann. He completed two series of intaglio images and one dry point series and several mono prints during his course of study. The first intaglio series involved forty-one individual etching plates of “Artist and Model.” The second intaglio series still in progress entitled,“The Pond Keepers.” He produced a series of five individual dry point plates with the title “Strong Looks.”
Currently Arenas is working on a multiple series of oil paintings, mixed media paintings, linear drawings and intaglio etchings with the title of “The Pond Keepers”. You are invited to visit his web pages to view the beginning of the “ The Pond Keepers” series.