The journey to becoming a working artist began early, winning local and regional drawing competitions as early as primary school. After high school, he began studying architecture and then visual arts, but shortly found that he hadn’t the patience for either. Undecided, he was offered a grant to study Art at a small college in Maryland, where he made the most of the opportunity. One year later, he returned to Ajijic and took to his brush. Leaving the hardships of the days when he peddled his work himself, Efren is now sought after by galleries across North America. Efren’s paintings depict the things he sees in everyday life—the colorful people and landscapes of his beloved Mexico. He is equally well known as a muralist, having completed his first intricate mural in the 90’s and since then many more in his beloved Ajijic.