Oscar Pena

Growing up in Mexico City, Oscar Pena learned to draw. He studied art in school, after his grandfather gave him a book on how to draw animals. But little by little art was replaced by technical interests, resulting in a career in electrical engineering after college.

Retirement and a move to Bend, Oregon, brought back his lifelong interest in art. He started painting and drawing with charcoal and discovered that people liked his work, and he began to get commissions from friends and neighbors. Soon he was experimenting with pastel, oil, watercolor, acrylic, and scratchboard.

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Oscar began traveling to several countries, enjoying nature and getting to know the arts and cultures of different lands. He enjoys getting closer to nature and wildlife. On one such visit, he got very close to a mountain gorilla, and made a portrait he calls “Silverback.” “He looked into my eyes for a very long time,” Pena recalls. The memories and photographs of his travels provide material for his paintings. Besides travel, Oscar enjoys hiking, playing golf, and taking photographs. He loves to read, especially novels, in both Spanish and English (he speaks fluent Portuguese as well).

He still alternates the different media in his paintings, but his portraits of both people and animals, are very close to his heart. It has a lot to do with the eyes that seem to communicate directly from the page to the viewer. Pena keeps on learning, and he has studied techniques in all media by watching hundreds of online videos.

He particularly enjoys scratchboard, where he can experiment in playing with the light. “I just follow my instincts and the videos,” Pena said. “The incredible Sisters artistic environment motivates and helps me,” Pena said. “I enjoy other artists’ work, and I love to learn from them as well.” Friends and family continue to encourage his artistic pursuits, and Pena will do commissions upon request.