"He was already making his own decisions, focused on his goals, and not distracted by others' opinions."
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Ricardo Breceda: Accidental Artist by Diana Lindsay Sunbelt Publications
book review by L.A.Webb
Ricardo Breceda has always been industrious. At the age of eight, he was an entrepreneur selling ice-cream treats from a cart. As a young man, he moved from Mexico to the United States to make a better life for himself. However, his life completely changed the day his daughter, Lianna, asked him for a life-size Tyrannosaurus Rex. It's how he became the accidental artist. Without formal training, Ricardo created her dinosaur out of metal. Lianna loved it. He began welding more of these unique metal art pieces, eventually creating Perris Jurassic Park. Motorists traveling on California's I-215 could hardly believe their eyes when they saw gigantic metal dinosaurs peering out over the road. Dennis Avery was one of those motorists. As a resident of Borrego Springs, he wanted Ricardo to create metal artwork invoking the Plio-Pleistocene mammals that once roamed the area. Sky Art was born. The pieces were placed on the desert landscape to ignite the imagination. From there, pieces of whimsy, including a serpent, were created. In all, Ricardo created over 120 pieces of art for the project.
Lindsay has written a biography that inspires and uplifts while telling about Ricardo's amazing accomplishments. Her knowledge and passion for the Borrego Valley shines through with vivid descriptions of Ricardo's work and their place in the desert. With the help of full color photographs, readers will gain a deeper appreciation for this type of art and may even be inspired to load up the car and head West to view Ricardo's work in person.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review