Paco Garcia Art

~ABOUT PACO GARCIA~

From his studio in the picturesque seaside town of Rosarito Beach, located between Tijuana and Ensenada, Paco G. formally known as Francisco Javier Garcia Zamora, paints his highly regarded Mediterranean-stylelandscapes. These are not only local favorites, but are gaining interest internationally as well.

Paco G's style can best be described as a form of interpretive impressionism. Using rising layers of paint to build an almost three-dimensional effect, he paints from the vantage point of someone relaxing in the shade of a veranda looking out past pillars of classical balconies that shows panoramic vistas of gentle seas lapping against rugged shorelines. However, he

is not limited to costal landscapes and has, in the past, drawn from the more typical Mexican marketplace and plaza motifs.

"Painting is like an expresion of the soul of the artist," Paco says. Anyone viewing his work cannot help, but find a calming, dreamlike quality to his paintings. The relief thechnique he uses adds depth and a kind of timelessness. In some works, it would seem that he might have painted them two centuries ago.

In 1949, Paco G was born in Saltillo, Coahuila to a mother, who was both a portrait painter and a student of artist Ruben Herrera. Furthering his talents, Paco's father was a wood sculptor. The Coahuila district has a long tradition of fine art, dating back to Pre-Colombian times. Although the local museum was named for Herrera, its canvasses have not been seen outside the former colonial city because the government will not allow them to be moved.

Paco G's work, however, is shown internationally and is on exhibit in Rosarito and displayed in cultural centers throughout Mexico. Additionally, his paintings are regularly shown at California galleries in La Jolla and Laguna Beach. Among his most noted work is the Tree of Life mural on permanent view at the Contreras Clinic in Playas de Tijuana and other murals in private homes in the city.

The father of five children, three of whom are also in the arts, Paco G has done many commissioned works, often based only on a provided photograph of someone's home.

"I will change the light and the perspective," he says, and the result will often be more beautiful than the reality.

Although he learned much from his mother, who signs her work Petra Elena, much of his style and technique were learned early on. In fact, he has been selling his work since he was nine at the family's gallery in Ensenada.

Today his paintings fetch five figures and are displayed in galleries throughout the hemisphere, while his fame has begun to spread throughout the world. The grace of his work is evident, offering a timeless feel that has to be applauded. Today, Paco G resides on the Baja Azure coastline, but travels frequently to Japan for art shows.

-Jake Kiehle