Opening reception:  Saturday June 21, 1–4 pm 

“I deeply enjoy the dialog between myself and my work.”

Ernesto grew up in the Caribbean in Cuba and Puerto Rico.

He loved the beach and ocean. His dad taught him to sail before he was ten. Ernesto’s parents were both architects and he grew up in a house filled with art. Even so, he fell in love with astronomy, and went to college in the US to study astrophysics. Upon returning to Puerto Rico, he met the love of his life and married her. At that time, he followed a career as a teacher and freelance computer programmer. He and his wife moved back to the US. He decided he wanted to return to teaching, so he got his doctorate in computer science. This led him to California as a professor at Cal State SB where he has recently retired.

All his life Ernesto continued to be surrounded by art which he loved, but he had no idea he could actually do art. Then his wife gave him a watercolor class. He loved it and continued to take classes. Art has opened up areas of his mind he didn’t know were there when he was only doing science and math – and it brings him enormous joy and satisfaction

Ernesto paints from memory and imagination. He sometimes refreshes his memory from photos he has taken, or scenes he sees, but more often he paints something he sees only in his mind. He draws on memories of beaches, the sea, sailing, and the city of San Juan where he finished growing up.

He loves cities and loves to paint them – particularly Redlands where he lives, and New York where his grandchildren live, as well as other places he has visited (sometimes only in his mind!). Ernesto doesn’t always know what he is going to paint; his most satisfying work takes him in unexpected directions while he is painting, and he deeply enjoys the dialog between himself and his work. He doesn’t aim for realism – he wants to give his impression and feelings, and he uses bright colors to express his joy in being able to create art.

Over the years he has been inspired and motivated by many people.

“some are dead and some are living”  – like his favorite Beatles song “In My Life”.

This includes family – Parents, siblings, his wife Sue, daughter Elisa, grandsons . His teachers – Ed Sotello and Holly Warner at RAA, and many friends who have inspired and encouraged him along the way. Also many cats – currently Waffles and Pancake but so many others before them.