René Garcia Jr., local artist known for his dazzling glitter paintings of pop culture iconography, died of natural causes on May 8 while vacationing in Orlando, Fla. He was 41.
A talented artist who worked across media — including painting, photography, illustration and installation — Garcia’s work was included in exhibitions across the U.S. He received regular commissions from individuals and organizations, most often for his large-scale glitter paintings, featuring everything from motorcycle-riding babes to big cats on beaches.
These paintings, constructed with simple “kindergarten” tools of Elmer’s glue and glitter shakers, are both decadent and optimistic.
In a 2007 interview for KQED’s Spark, Garcia admitted cheerfully, “I’ve been saying I’ll be done with glitter almost since I started, but the thing is people like it and I like it.”