Xavier Moreno is a senior at Santa Barbara High School and October’s Artist of the Month. Moreno has been a member of the Visual Arts and Design Academy for four years and is very involved in the VADA community. 

Moreno first found his passion for art in sixth grade. He never thought it would lead him to where he is now.  Moreno remembers looking at other people’s art and thinking to himself, 

“Wow, I’m not very good. I think I tried joining VADA because I wanted to develop my skills. As the time went by, I found myself pitching ideas and helping others with their pieces.” He has since learned to stop doubting himself and that art doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s. 

“Art is a way of expressing yourself and I think it’s always up for interpretation.” 

What inspires Moreno’s paintings is listening to music, house music in particular. His most valued piece is one he’s working on at the moment, which is a Catrina. Moreno felt as though painting a skull would be perfect for fall and for the upcoming holiday, Dia de los Muertos. Moreno prefers painting over drawing because it’s more hands-on as opposed to having to worry about shading and making sure everything looks perfect when it comes to drawing.

“Just go in! Let the paint guide you!” says Moreno.  

When asked about what college Moreno hopes to attend, he said “CalPoly, possibly Boston University, or maybe even SDSU. I want to be able to keep my options open and be able to major in Business Marketing.” Moreno does not plan to pursue art in college, but will “ I will always keep the passion.”