Suenos, Recuerdos y Pensaminetos by Wood Fancher Anthony

Institute of Hispanic Culture of Houston (IHCH) presents Suenos, Recuerdos y Pensaminetos by Wood Fancher Anthony. Opening  Saturday, November 19. On view through November 29.

The art exhibition shows paiintings reflecting most of the time farm components. Growing up, Wood was surrounded by his mother’s family and robust Mexican culture. There were also many trips to visit family in Zacatecas, Mexico.

Moved by the richness of his mother’s culture his experiences have had a profound impact him; they shaped who he is as a person, as an artist and solidified his love for Mexico.

Wood Fancher Anthony was born and raised in Houston Texas. He earned a degree in Accounting from the University of Saint Thomas in Houston Texas in 2002. Wood began drawing from a very young age. One of his earliest memories is of his mother showing him how to draw flowers with crayons.

As early as elementary school his teachers recognized his abilities and even arranged time for him to develop his abilities during class while other students took regular lessons. Later on in middle and high school he chose to take art classes as electives and participated and was recognized in the Houston Rodeo Art Show several times.

Although he did not take art classes in college he did start to paint outside of his college courses. After college he started to draw and paint a lot more than he ever had in his life. In 2005, with the help of scholarships he took two drawing classes at the Glassell School of Art in Houston, Texas. Wood has been studying art his entire life.

Despite the fact that he took art classes in high school and drawing classes at the Glassell, Wood is almost completely self-taught. Over the years he has learned to use oil, acrylic, watercolor, ink, pastel, oil pastel, graphite and colored pencil.

Wood’s mother is from Zacatecas, Mexico.  Zacatecas was colonized in the 1530’s and situated in Mexico’s central Bajio region. Zacatecas is steeped in rich history, beauty and is dotted with picturesque colonial towns and villages.  His father was from the piney woods of East Texas.  Growing up, Wood was surrounded by his mother’s family and robust Mexican culture. There were also many trips to visit family in Zacatecas, Mexico.  Moved by the richness of his mother’s culture his experiences have had a profound impact him; they shaped who he is as a person, as an artist and solidified his love for Mexico.

Growing up, Wood was surrounded by bold colors and farm animals in both Mexico and Houston, which are elements found in much of his art today.  He was exposed to a vastly different way of life and different ideas and customs.  His art comes from his unique point of view.  His story and experiences allow him to create hauntingly beautiful works fired by his imagination but based in his reality.

His style and technique range dramatically.  He can execute anything from abstract to realism and enjoys using a variety of mediums. Much of his work can be described as surreal dream deeply rooted in Mexico. Wood always tries to use bold colors and although the themes and subject matter in his art can vary, much of his work has a Mexican flare. What matters to him the most in art is the act of creating it in the first place.  Bold color and a story are important to him.

Color in his works help convey his story. He believes his art must have the ability to tell a story or provide a place for the viewer to get lost within and create their own story. Wood believes that there is a force, an energy that motivates him to be an artist.  It is something that lives within him. It pushes him to create.  His desire for self-reflection and self-exploration and to put it on canvas for the world to see motivates Him.  His desire to seek inner peace motivates him.

His dreams, memories and thoughts are the source of his inspiration.  Creating art gives Wood an incredible feeling, for him it feels natural and normal, like breathing.