I was born in Fresno, California in 1957, one of 11 children of Manuel and Julia Jimenez. I was raised in Shafter, California, a small town where as a child I developed close friends and of course had the love and support of my family. I started school when I was six-years old and because we had such a large family, my brothers, sisters, and myself were constantly making our parents lives a tremendous challenge.

At the age of 14, I began taking an interest in creations of beauty and started to put my thoughts and visions on canvas. Once I started, my imagination grew more and more creative in that I saw every aspect of my life and surroundings very different from the rest of the world. I continued to create what I was feeling, and as I grew, relationships developed, along with heartache and struggles, which began to surface in my paintings. I found a place in my heart and soul when I would lift up the brush to take the first stroke of creation and this would take me to places that would give me peace and comfort. Every canvas, every painting, every color is an expression of my life as I see it.

At the age of 18, I began to travel throughout California at first, from Los Angeles to San Francisco, then different states observing people and surroundings that inspired me to continue with my artistic challenges.

I have a very supportive family who I love very much. My sister, Anita, has always been a positive part of my life. She has taken me in without ever asking for anything in return, other than to share stories and laugh together of all our endeavors. She truly is my guardian angel. “I love you Anita with all my heart.”

It’s funny how people come into your life and end up having such a huge impact on what direction you will be going next. My cousin, Francesca, was someone who was so impressed with my ability to create such beauty, that her excitement and support made me want to go out into the world and let people see what and who I am.

THIS is who I am, and my future will certainly be filled with joy, sadness, change, and once again every experience will be expressed in my paintings.

Eduardo Jimenez