My name is Manuel Abran Rubio, you can refer to me as Mannie. Anyway, I am a painter born January 17, 1984 in Stockton, California. I have been an artist since before I could speak. My obsession and passion for applying graphite or ink to paper began developing as soon as I could hold a pencil, pen, crayon or marker at the ripe ol' age of 2 years. So began my need to be drawing things out of my head. I have been doing it ever since.

I drew on everything that I possibly could. Crayon on the walls and floor as a baby, pencil and pen on the borders of my note taking paper all the way from kindergarten thru high school. After high school in 2002 I joined the Army where I continued drawing.

In the military I arrived in Fort Benning, Georgia home of the United States Infantry. I had to write about myself so the Drill Sergeants would get to know a little about their future soldier's background. They read that I was an artist and I was called out in front the entire company to verify my statement and selected to paint unit patches, training awards, and unit medals on the walls of the barracks and other various areas. I painted a mural of our platoon mascot on the outside of our barracks entrance, as well as the design for our platoon clothing when to remember our unit when we graduated infantry school. After my infantry training I went to airborne school down the street from Sand Hill where I received my airborne wings. After graduating I went to my duty station in North Carolina, with the 2/325th Airborne Infantry Regiment in the 82nd Airborne. During my time with 82nd I went overseas to Baghdad, Iraq and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom from 2003-2004.

After the military I went to school at the Art Institute in San Francisco using my GI Bill for a year, then to Pasadena City College, and finally Grossmont City College in San Diego. This is where I learned about art, and my desire to learn to paint grew. I then proceeded to take art classes in drawing and painting where I met the greatest influence of my life Daphne Hill. Without her I would have never believed pursuing my dream was even possible. During this time I went to a museum and saw my first Salvador Dali exhibit, who I believe is the greatest painter in history. I absolutely realized anything you can imagine can be visually reproduced on a canvas.

So now I'm a painter and I live in Las Vegas, Nevada. I paint mostly surrealism and practice a bit of realism as well. Anyway, thank you for visiting and enjoy my website.

All of the art on this website is for sale unless otherwise noted. All of the art is original by yours truly, and any of the "sold" paintings can be replicated on request and can be customized in anyway including the size of the canvas, paintings can be enlarged or shrunk to the size you desire. Feel free to inquire for any commission pieces. If you have a reference photo I can paint it. If you do not have a reference photo I can make sketches by using details you give me until you are satisfied with the result.

Please feel free to contact me through e-mail or check me out on Facebook.

 e-mail me at: [email protected]

visit my art page on Facebook search @: www.facebook.com/MannieManiac