Pedro de La Cruz didn’t set out to become an artist. In 2012, he was working in the accounting department of a local company, crunching numbers by day and quietly creating by night. But somewhere in between spreadsheets and late-night sketching, something shifted. "I felt like I had a second chance at life," he recalls. "I grabbed it like a new graduation. I realized my passion could become a career.”
Born in Tijuana, México, De La Cruz always carried an artistic eye, seeing beauty where others saw the ordinary. Moving with his family to the US as an adolescent, De La Cruz recognized new possibilities in his novel and expanded environment.
A self-taught artist whose creative instincts were shaped by his grandfather, an architect, Pedro has since emerged as one of Santa Barbara’s most dynamic visual storytellers.
His work, often marked by vibrant colors, symbolic imagery, and expressive eyes, is captivating. Each representation of his subjects has eyes full of wonder and joy—an observation I share with him. In his humble nature, De La Cruz says, “You saw something I never really noticed,” a testament to the layered beauty in his work and the power of art to reveal more than even the artist knows.
For De La Cruz, art is not just a visual experience—it's a language of memory, reflection, and hope. A painter, muralist, and community advocate based in Santa Barbara, De La Cruz’s work is layered, both literally and metaphorically.
Much of De La Cruz’s work is constructed from hope. In one piece, elegantly displayed on one of his many striking studio walls, he depicts a simple act: receiving a peach from a basket. “It's not just about fruit,” he says. “It’s about yearning for an ideal place, a world where joy is accessible and abundant.”
Color plays a central role in that vision.“Colors are my talent,” he says simply. “If the world around me gets sadder, I paint brighter. I try to bring light, even when things are dark.” When global or local events weigh heavily, Pedro turns to the canvas not to reflect despair, but to offer an alternative. “I go the other way,” he says. “I try to bring happiness and joy. I find that people then gravitate towards you.”
That authenticity carries over into his work ethic. When asked about honoring the desires of customers and commissions, he smiles and says he aims for a Trader Joe’s-style attitude: “Just say, yes! If a customer sees a piece and is inspired but wants the background to be different or a child to be painted next to the adult, I paint this and create the work that will inspire.”
De La Cruz’s work doesn’t solely reside in galleries and on the walls of smitten customers—it lives in the community. Community engagement, for De La Cruz, is not a separate chapter of his career; it’s woven into the canvas of his practice. “I believe in putting out good energy and meeting people,” he says. “That’s how you figure out how the machine works—how everything is connected. And you learn that none of it is easy. But the community is the most important thing. I embrace this city. It has given me so much.”
When asked about lingering themes from his childhood, Pedro describes a painting of two boys—one younger, playing marbles, and one older, studying with books, more mature. Initially unsatisfied with the piece, he reworked it until it reflected something deeper: “They both complement and need each other. The younger boy needs knowledge from the older boy, and the older boy needs the playfulness from the younger. That’s how I see myself. That’s something I still carry. I kept this piece.”
It's not unusual for De La Cruz to keep pieces like this—works that carry meaningful moments that he sees as a running timeline of his life. “I started keeping a collection of my own art,” he shares. “There are some stories I’m not done telling yet.”
As for legacy, De La Cruz pauses before answering, “I hope to inspire artists, the new generation of artists. I hope to inspire people to explore their dreams.”
As Santa Barbara embarks on its lively August Fiesta, De La Cruz has curated a lively Fiesta collection. “It will be full of color and joy! I want to emphasize in these paintings happiness and the celebration of life. I want this collection to embrace the music and blessings of the community.” De La Cruz sees his tapestry of artistic expression as an uplifting metaphor: “It’s a celebration for all the good things.”
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