About

I am a San Antonio based portrait painter that works in egg tempera. I was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania. My portrait paintings are not traditional. I prefer to focus on the emotional or phsychological qualities that the painted portrait can communicate. My portraits are also not traditional because they are painted in egg tempera. Traditional portraits are done using oils. My love of egg tempera and my love of the painted portrait have led me to my current pursuit-egg tempera portraits. The history of my introduction to egg tempera begins while on a class trip to the Brandywine Museum in Pennsylvania. There I was introduced to the work of Andrew Wyeth for the first time. Read More

Connect & Share

Latest News & On My Easel

Alex Garcia has been named a finalist in the 2010 Hunting Art Prize competition. Garcia’s painting “El Ray” has been juried to go to the next stage of judging which will take place in Houston, Texas. The second round of judging will be done by viewing the actual work. All of the finalist’s will have their work exhibited at a Houston, Texas gala in May.

“Contemporary Icons: Tempera,” an exhibit of nationally recognized artists who work in the historic egg tempera technique, is offered at the Westfield State College Downtown Art Gallery, 105 Elm St., Westfield from Nov. 3 through Dec. 5. A free public reception for the artists is scheduled from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4.

What is Egg Tempera?

Tempera (or egg tempera) is the primary type of artist’s paint and associated art techniques that were prevalent in Europe’s Middle Ages. It is paint made by binding pigment in an egg medium However, the term tempera in modern times is also used by some manufacturers to refer to ordinary poster paint, which is a form of gouache that has nothing to do with real egg tempera.

Tempera was traditionally created by hand-grinding dry powdered pigments into egg yolk (which was the primary binding agent or medium), sometimes along with other materials such as honey, water, milk (in the form of casein) and a variety of plant gums. After the invention of oil paint in the Late Middle Ages, tempera continued to be used for awhile as the underpainting (base layer) with translucent or transparent oil glazes on top. This transitional, mixed technique was followed by a sole oil painting techniques, which for the most part replaced tempera in the 16th century. Egg Tempera Painting Information and Demo by Alex Garcia