
(Art Ramon) Garcia Jr. was born in McAllen, TX in 1971. He grew up in Houston, TX and throughout elementary school, was the naturally gifted go-to artist when art projects required volunteers. In middle school, he took home making and wood shop classes, in addition to art. A majority of his formal artistic training occurred at North Shore Senior High School, where he learned the basic elements and principles of art, in addition to his own self study, How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way and Commander Mark: The Secret City.
Art Ramon dreamed of becoming an artist, but was anxious and unsettled about career options in the art field. Without a mentor to encourage continued artistic study at a university, and monotony and boredom of continued living in Houston, he decided to join the U.S. Navy in 1991. For 5 1/2 years, adventure, military deployment around the world, and a physically rigorous job, consumed his time. He learned mechanics and hydraulics in U.S. Navy schools and tried to continue artistic endeavors while in the service, during his many hours at coffee houses while off work in home port. However, the restrictive nature of military life did not fit his constitution, so he left the U.S. Navy in 1996. He started oil painting in black & white and slowly taught himself the medium.
His first oil painting series, Gray Area, is archived on Alien Alley Art Gallery under his former pseudonym, Nomar Garcia. Gray Area paintings are not for sale and remain as a source of inspiration for future work. After unsuccessful attempts at displaying his work in the local Houston art scene, Art Ramon took an extended hiatus from artistic endeavors in order to fully concentrate on his alternate careers.
Emerging from a 16-year hiatus, Art Ramon restarted oil painting and drawing, and explores new artistic styles in pursuit of creative challenges, which gave rise to Southwest Surreal™ and Arid Abstract™. Art Ramon now seeks to make Neo-Southwestern™ an art movement birthed in Tucson, slowly branching outwards through the entire Southwestern Art world and beyond.
Art Ramon currently exhibits many of his recent works, year-round at Solar Culture Gallery.
Art Ramon lives in the Tucson, Arizona area and is available to meet with potential clients, who live or travel in the vicinity.
Education
2015: American Sign Language, Pima Community College
2008: B.A. in Computer Science with English minor, Washington State University
1998: Real Estate A.A.S, San Jacinto Community College
1994: Hydraulics “C” School, U.S. Navy
1991: Machinist Mate “A” School, U.S. Navy
1990: High School Diploma, North Shore Senior H.S.
Exhibitions
Improv
2017, Improv 101, Unscrewed Theater, Tucson, AZ