Originally from Toronto, Canada, Chico Munson graduated with a BFA in Broadcast Design from Otis College in Los Angeles. Working in the industry, he created animation and graphics for Disney, Fox Television and Showtime to name a few.
A painter since high school, it wasn't until he was commissioned to create artwork for a Hermosa Beach business that he discovered his own unique method of "painting" on wood with wood stain. "I was trying to make my artwork blend-in with the natural wood surroundings of the store, and I didn't want my work to outshine the store's product, so I thought of painting on wood with stains. I noticed that no one else was using this particular method of staining images onto wood and I was a little surprised that it's drawn so much attention."
Working with a "technique-in-progress", Chico is constantly experimenting to perfect his art; he hand-mixes the stains to "paint" iconic images on wood panels.