Anthony J Garnica began as a self-taught artist born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. Aspiring to elevate and refine his work, Anthony pursued formal art studies and graduated from the Southwest School of Art in San Antonio, Texas, in 2019. Anthony is married to Jennifer Garnica and they are blessed with two children, Zakary and Kalysta.  

Artist Statement

My introduction to art began as a small child in my grandmother’s house. I was awed by the comic book re-creations that hung in my uncle’s room. I remember sitting on his lap as he doodled and sketched. The small race cars that appeared before my eyes with smoke emitting from the rear tires are among some of the most magical memories of my childhood. It was because of him I became interested in super hero comics and drawing - and thus the journey of my own art practice began as I strove to emulate him. Upon thanking him for the path he set before me, he explained to me that the comic book re-creations, which I was awe-inspired by so long ago, were my father’s and not his. I knew then that art was in my blood and there was nothing I wanted to do more than to create.

I experiment and allow my processes to change organically as I navigate each step, regardless of the media. The thesis of my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the Southwest School of Art revolved around color theory. In my latest body of work, I take advantage of how color and form interact to create contending illusions of structure and space on a two dimensional surface.  I use simplified forms and color to project my mood without the use of images true to the natural world.  My interest in space exploration, the possibilities of alternate dimensions and the awe of the unknown inspire and influence my work.