Guerra Fine Art

About

My journey started at the American College for the Applied Arts (Atlanta) in 1988 and then a few years later I found myself graduating from the Art Institute of Houston and heading straight into a job illustrating for a well-known children’s book company. Yes, that’s right… a children’s book company. I kept with this job until 1998 when I decided that it was no longer beneficial for me to keep the 9 to 5 grind. While I was with this particular company I would teach art classes in various parts of the nation and I found that the income I was making doing other various jobs and teaching was quickly taking over the income I was making illustrating children’s books.

I didn’t actually start painting women as my primary subject until late 2000. It began with an idea that was brought to me by a businessman in San Antonio, TX, a simple photoshoot with a pretty model, some strobes and a flimsy backdrop. After that it was just a matter of building this career of mine to where I am today and continuing on to where I will be tomorrow. Throughout the past 9 years I’ve completed hundreds of paintings and taken thousands and thousands of reference shots of beautiful women. From day one it has always been extremely important that everything I create is completely mine – from the idea to the reference shots to the finished artwork. It wasn’t until late 2007 that I actually started showing some of my photography and it wasn’t until this year (2009) that photography is actually being included on my website.

For 6 great years after I left illustrating children’s books I spent much of my time teaching classes all over the nation including a brief stint with Airbrush Action Magazine in 2000. I was fortunate to teach hundreds of students the many techniques that I know as well as invite other instructors and artists from all over the world to expand on their techniques in my classes. “Teaching” art has always been a love of mine but in 2004 I put it all on hold to create and manage the licensing of my images to particular markets on the internet. At the time I really didn’t realize the overall dedication I had to devote to this venture but I quickly found out.

In 2006 the licensing of my images became so popular to many fans around the world that I couldn’t get out of it. I decided that since I couldn’t get out of it I would embrace it wholeheartedly. I invited my wife and a few friends to join me in my new-found popularity and, together, my wife, Michelle, and I formed an artist image licensing company called Creative Image Licensing & Management (CILM). Our company grew extremely fast and forced me to put my creative career on hold to protect, market and promote all the artists that we began marketing and representing. You can view the artists of CILM HERE. If you’re a fan of mine I’m sure you’re a fan of theirs as well.

In late 2007 I figured out a way to focus my attention on being able to create as well as manage and maintain the popularity of CILM. I decided to dive headfirst into another love of mine – photography. Why? Because it fills the void from not being able to paint as much as I would like and presents so many more challenges as I continue to strive for diversity in this career of mine. I sincerely hope you enjoy the photographs I take and the beautiful models that help me inspire thought in you.

Currently, I live in sunny Southern California with the love of my life, Michelle, who happens to be my elementary school sweetheart, and our five kids. I have a wonderful family, successful businesses, beautiful women to paint… -sigh- it’s a hard life but someone’s got to do it. ;o)

Anthony

- Points of interest… Since you’re a fan of mine you might want to tell your friends about other businesses I own: StoneScape Industries and Pinup Sticks.