Local and multi-talented artist Miguel Machuca, 34, started off as just a child playing with crayons and now is making all his artistic dreams a reality.

Machuca was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and moved to San Jose, Calif. with his family around the age of seven.

He had artistic creativity running through his veins since he was a toddler, starting drawing when he was three years old.

“I was always drawing,” said Machuca. “No matter where I was if there was a crayon or pencil, I would be using it until I couldn’t use it anymore.”

Machuca described how much he loved the scent of wood pencils, especially after they were freshly sharpened.

The passion with which Machuca describes his art envelops the listener and somehow draws them into his world.

“My specialty is a mixture of my Mexican roots, combined with the urban culture here in the states,” said Machuca. “I love abstract art. It has the power to loosen the tight grasp of the conscious mind, permitting unknown moods and images to rise.

“It is a gateway to an archetypal reality where all aspects of the self reside owned or not,” Machuca added. “I lift the veil and allow others a glimpse of the disturbing and yet infinite richness of the shadow realm.”?

In the seventh grade, Machuca got into the art of graffiti.

“I thought it was the coolest thing,” said Machuca. “I started painting characters and pieces everywhere I could.”

It got to the point where students all over school would put in their drawing requests with him. Machuca says it was his pleasure to do so, as it made great practice for him.

“I got so good with a pencil that I graduated myself to ink,” said Machuca. “My favorite was a blue ballpoint Bic pen. Amazing. I had learned fades and shading with a pencil, but to do the same style with a pen was amazing.”

Throughout high school, Machuca loved all of his art classes, passing them with ease.

Eventually he began teaching other students who were interested in learning how to draw.

“High school was crazy, so I spent my time on my tools and paper,” said Machuca. “I would draw as much as possible. I was still a graffiti writer, so my life was colorful and interesting. San Francisco and Oakland were my playgrounds.”

In 2002, Machuca met a woman named Joanne Hobbs, who was looking for an artist for her show at the American Indian Education Resource Center.

He had one week to come up with a piece. When Hobbs saw his work, she loved it and wanted to begin working with him right away.

“What I enjoy about creating original artwork is inviting the viewer to work with my material, letting them see and hear the messages hidden in ourselves and listening to the voices that have been silenced,” said Machuca. “I have a dark muse that propels me to express what is painful. My art holds the shadow, both personal and universal, giving it a voice and a forum for further exploration.

“Each of my paintings are like a chapter in a book on the human journey,” Machuca added. “The viewer becomes the reader and can participate in the emotions involved by ‘reading’ my artwork and finding counterparts that resonate to their own experiences.”

Machuca began working with Hobbs in a program called “Heart of Chaos” and soon after he became the director.

According to Machuca, “Heart of Chaos” is a non-profit organization that aims to provide an artistic outlet for at-risk youth and also puts forth a venue for emerging and local artists of all different talents.

It gives these artists an opportunity to expose and showcase their work.

Currently, Machuca works as a specialist (BMT), working one-on-one with autistic children. He loves his job and says he is great at what he does with confidence.

In the future, Machuca wants to open up his own art academy, giving children a positive expressive outlet with hopes to help keep them off the street.

After growing up in San Jose, Machuca feels it is his responsibility to give something back to the city and, more importantly, its youth.

“San Jose is a gold mine,” said Machuca. “There is so much Its culture is so vivid, so rich.”

To bring his vision even closer to home, Machuca wants to provide an outlet for his autistic children as well.

Oftentimes, autism is treated as a disease that can just be cured.

Machuca wants to work more with these children in a way that allows them to express themselves, their talents and their creativity.

“The first question my parents always ask me is, can you fix my kid?” said Machuca. “I respond by saying, if they were a 1967 Ford then yes, but the real question here is can they fix us?”

Machuca’s art was featured at “The Usuals” clothing store in San Jose last Friday. He has grand visions for the future and plans to put a lot of that into action this year.