Artist background

Randy Cardona is an artist based in his hometown near Santa Cruz, California. After attending Soquel High School he took a smattering of art and architecture courses at Cabrillo College and Rhode Island School of Design and later studied industrial design at Academy of Art University in San Francisco, leading to a career in product design. In between studies he traveled extensively and lived on three continents which helped inform his artistic style and served as a broader conduit for inspiration. According to the artist, his education “was insightful but was no substitute for living abroad, observing other artist’s work, and practicing his craft.”

He works in multiple mediums from palette knife painting to pen and ink drawings, taking cues from from iconic works of graphic illustration, graffiti art and contemporary pop art. Much of his inspiration comes simply from observing the world around him, often from things as mundane as a pockmarked sidewalk or a small bloom of poppies next to the road.”

One of the biggest challenges that Randy faced as a student and professional is the struggle to manage and suppress what he now understands is ADHD. However, as a dedicated artist he now embraces his lifelong condition to direct his process and energize his work.

Having grown up around nature as well as having lived in San Francisco, London and Hong Kong, Randy creates art that either reflects the various multitudes of urban life, or imbues the viewer with feelings of wildness or serenity.