My name is Rudy Gardea and my mission is to create imagery that is dramatic and impacting. I’ve been drawing ever since I was 5 years old and I was reprimanded for an active imagination. I once had the principal of my elementary school ask that I stop drawing pictures for the younger children because I was causing too much commotion.

While drawing dinosaurs I tended to make the noises of the protagonists, which prompted my second grade teacher to have me stand up in class and disclose what I was up to. That wasn’t easy. At any rate I was trained in traditional illustration at California State University at Long Beach, which has proved to be invaluable. I learned the visual language as well as the patience necessary to produce the imagery I had envisioned in my mind.

This training has aided in the transition to digital image making. I continue to produce illustrations in both traditional and digital media as they both have their place and purpose. Ultimately I create images that inspire me in hopes of communicating my thoughts and emotions.