Hi, I’m Manny

I’ve never been very good at fitting into boxes. Maybe that’s why I became an artist.

I’ve always had a complicated relationship with authority. Not because I don’t respect people or tradition, but because I struggle with being told what I should paint, how I should paint it, or what kind of artist I’m supposed to be. The moment someone tries to put me into a category, something in me wants to push back. I don’t fit into a mold. I never have.

My work is a reflection of that.

I was born in Venezuela, raised in America, and somehow I feel like I belong to both worlds while also feeling like I don’t fully belong to either. I am Venezuelan, and I am American—but I am also something in between. I carry pieces of both cultures, both histories, and both ways of seeing the world.

You can hear it in my music.

One day my playlist might be filled with Noah Kahan, Tim McGraw, and Ryan Bingham. The next it’s Willie Colón, Bad Bunny, Elvis Crespo, Celia Cruz, or anything from my Venezuelan roots. Then somehow Pavarotti and Taylor Swift end up mixed in there too. My taste has never followed a straight line, and neither has my art.

I’ve always been drawn to the American West. Not just because of the landscapes, but because of what they represent. There is something raw about the West—the freedom, the independence, the history, and even the lawlessness of it. It was a place where people carved out their own paths, where rules were tested, and where survival depended on grit and determination.

That spirit speaks to me.

When I paint the towering rock formations, endless skies, wildlife, and places that define the West, I’m not simply trying to recreate what I see. I’m not interested in making a photograph with paint.

I’m trying to capture what those places feel like.

The silence of standing beneath a massive canyon wall. The warmth of sunlight hitting red rock. The loneliness and freedom of an open landscape. The stories hidden in the dust, the mountains, and the people who have passed through those places.

My paintings are about emotion, memory, and connection.

Through expressive brushwork, bold color, and a focus on light and atmosphere, I strive to capture more than a location. I want people to feel like they were there—to experience a moment, a place, or a story.

I’m an artist who refuses to stay in one lane. I paint landscapes, wildlife, people, and places that move me. I follow curiosity. I follow feeling. I follow the story behind the subject.

Because at the end of the day, I’m not interested in painting what I’m told to paint.

I’m interested in painting what I can’t ignore.