“Art should make you feel a certain way. “

Early inspiration came from his mother who works predominately in Watercolor. In his late teens he collaborated in many creative projects with his peers. The group of contemporaries waded through comic book art, graffiti, fantasy, sci-fi, horror and role playing games sampling the various forms to inspire new works of art. Through this Simon Rios began working and studying hand painted signage where he developed a love for typography and pop culture.  Simon has been working as a professional artist since 2007 for marketing agencies and print shops as the resident artist and creative director. In 2015, he started working in high school art education with a focus in continuation at East High. This position developed into full time educator at Fortuna High School. Classes ranging from Photography, Design, Yearbook and traditional media with an emphasis on vocational pathways.