Tony Pro was born in Northridge, California in 1973. He grew up in Southern California under the guidance of his father,Julio Pro (1929-2013), a successful southwest wildlife painter and his brother,Greg (1963- ), a successful illustrator. Pro received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design from California State University, Northridge while simultaneously studying drawing with the late illustrator, Glen Orbik(1963-2015). It was at this time that he learned the value of academic figure drawing and the importance of applying these strict study principles to his craft. With this methodology, Tony became an exemplary, self-trained painter with the help of a few mentors, includingRichard Schmid (1934-2021).
Tony's love of the old west came from his parent's avid western art and Native American artifact collecting years through 1980s. As a child, he toured the country with his parents to major Western Art shows as well as visiting the studios of many of the artists they collected. Once his father transitioned from art collector to artist, the excursions continued and became a major inspiration to Tony's interest in the genre.
In 2005, juror, Daniel Gerhartz, awarded the highly coveted Best in Show Award at the 14th AnnualOil Painters of AmericaShow to Pro. He has also won many finalists Awards of Honor from the Portrait Society of America Show. In 2014, Pro recieved the First Place award for Best Painting at thePortrait Society of AmericaInternational Competition for his painting, "Last train home."
He is a Signature Member of the prestigious California Art Club. Pro lives and works in San Antonio, Texas with his wife Elizabeth and 4 children.
Pro's works hang in museums and private collections around the world.
