Exploring Art and Nostalgia: The Creative Journey of Jon Garcia
Jon Garcia is an illustrator, graphic designer, and filmmaker from Austin, TX. His illustration work varies from traditional ink and marker drawings to digital art with his primary focus being old-school NES-style pixel art. Jon attended the University of Texas Permian Basin where he “did the thing you’re supposed to do after high school and luckily didn’t go into debt” getting degrees in communications and psychology.
His career in production and design began as the topical producer and eventual creative director for NBC-affiliate KWES-TV in Midland, TX. Highlights of his career at KWES include winning a Texas Associated Press Award for best photojournalist, helping the station transition to high-definition, shooting Friday night football around West Texas, and having a knife pulled on him right before a live shot.
After KWES, Jon moved to Albuquerque, NM where he worked for the One Creative Ad Agency. Working with creative powerhouses Wendy Spalsbury and T. Payton, Jon learned high-end design and creative strategy.
It was during the day to day humdrum of working for demanding clients combined with a puppy that liked waking up at 5:30am that he picked up the pencil he put down when he was 15 (thanks to a very uninspiring baseball coach who taught high school art) and got back into illustration. Beginning with fan art, his work eventually transitioned to creating the pixel art he loved as a gaming kid.
A big fan of collaborating with other creatives, Jon’s design work and illustration work have been used by businesses, podcasts, bands, creators, and also featured in the independent movies “Monday” and “Millennium Bugs.” Currently, he is the lead learning and development designer for Austin-based taco chain, Torchy’s Tacos. His nights are spent enjoying whiskey and video games with his wife Jen and pups, Arya and Keeley, and working on a 2D point-and-click game inspired by the late 90’s.
THE TRUTH IN THIS ART BEYOND
The Truth in this Art Beyond is a spin-off of The Truth In This Art. Where the original series focused primarily on Baltimore, this series extends outside of Charm City to engage in artistically and culturally conversation and sharing rich stories from our favorite cities. As always, creativity matters here!
The series is produced with the generous support from Raasin in the Sun , BlackArtMattersATX and Six Square. Raasin in the Sun, an Austin based Nonprofit organization who's work focuses on cultivating resilience through art and environmental initiatives. BlackArtMattersATX, amplifying Black voices in Austin's cultural conversation by financially supporting new work from Black Artists based in Austin. Six Square work focuses on preserving and celebrating the historic legacy of the African American community that once thrived in Central East Austin.
If you're interested in supporting my work, please consider leaving a review and buying me coffee.
