North Texas artist Francisco Moreno explores unusual combinations
ARLINGTON (CBSNewsTexas.com) — Francisco Moreno was 6 when his family moved from Mexico City to Arlington.
"I was old enough to know that my life had changed drastically. People were different. The language was different. Everything was different. It was kind of this moment in my life that has forever lingered," he said.
Today, Moreno's art is a study of colliding worlds.
"I'm like, what feels honest to me? And to me, what feels honest is for it to be something that's multicultural. Cause that's my experience," he said.
His paintings play with unusual combinations, like adding a touch of sci-fi to a Renaissance portrait or including imagery for the Americas in a scene set in Italy.
He has tackled ambitious works and humorous ones, too.
"Sometimes I just want to paint a squirrel eating a taco," he said.
In every piece of his art, though, he sees a piece of himself.
"It's the hardest thing. Because you make something and you put it out there. And let's just say it's not well received. You've poured your soul out for the world to see," he said.
Moreno's paintings are about to reach a whole new audience with his first major solo exhibit outside of Texas scheduled in San Francisco next year.
"The excitement of getting to show somewhere else is overwhelming," he said.
In his work, "The Duality of Painting," Moreno depicts the highs and lows of his profession with a triumphant wooden figure on horseback pictured over an identical figure lying on the ground in flames.
"Sometimes you leave the studio feeling like you're on this horse and the best artist in the world. And sometimes you leave the studio and you feel like you're on the floor on fire. You don't even deserve to pick up the brush," he said.
Each day, though, brings a new chance to bring a canvas to life.
"If tomorrow I get to paint again, I'm doing OK," he said.
