Out of the
Boredom of a C reative Mind
Round Town • Santa Margarita
N
ot many people can claim that they’ve even visited most of our 50 states. To have actually worked in 47 out of the 50 is even more impressive, but that’s just a small part of Aaron Trejo’s story. We first began to learn of Aaron Trejo and his artwork this past January on a local Facebook group page post offering his mural services and subsequent posts showing results and photos from happy customers. His work locally has gone from a fish pond/fountain, where he created an aquarium scene in Creston, to interior home walls with tree and baseball park murals, water tanks with horse and native butterfly murals, and a pizza oven at a farm with a pig, goat and alpaca looking over guests in Santa Margarita. Aaron’s work is quick, creative, beautiful and really adds to and highlights the uniqueness of each location and client with seemingly no obstacles getting in the way or any challenge too great. Customers of Aaron’s, like Tina Ballantyne from Giving Tree Family Farm, say that the process of working with him was very simple, giving him a rough idea and maybe a few pictures of what they would like to see and he’s off and running with his own ideas and interpretations to fit the project. Speaking with Aaron recently, I was able to get a better understanding of his background, creative process and a crash course on graffiti arts and hip-hop culture. Growing up very poor, in an area of New Jersey five minutes outside of New York City, Aaron lived in an apartment house with friends who lived a few blocks away in an area that was a “dumping zone” — a stereotypical “hood” with abandoned buildings, trash in the streets and drug dealers on the corners. This was no place for kids to grow up, but nobody seemed to care and the city just turned their back on the area. Aaron was a high-achieving honors student who hung out with kids at least four years older, totally bored at school and for four years was kicked out of every summer camp he was sent to in an attempt to keep him busy and out of trouble. After the failed summer camp attempts, his family decided to send him to be with his very talented aunt at her renaissance art studio where he learned all forms of artwork from painting to ceramics, woodworking, and more. Artistic talent runs in the family and Aaron looked up to and was influenced by his cousins, Rob and Aden, who were into comic book art, BMX riding and a nomadic lifestyle. His aunt’s work has been placed into various museums and Aden’s sketch of a pair of Converse shoes was placed in MOMA before he met an untimely death as a passenger in a car accident at the age of 16, a mere two weeks after his older brother Rob passed in a tragic train incident. That year, with the random passing of five other important people in his life, was the turning point for Aaron. He realized life is too short — anything can happen at any time to anyone, no matter what age or circumstance, and he didn’t want to waste his time. Aaron wanted to get out there, do things and make a difference. Through BMX riding, Aaron was inspired by Joe Tiseo, a New Jersey BMX legend who rode for Animal and Kink, and who built three bikes for Aaron over the years “Joe was a super nice guy who worked at a local BMX shop, he really liked seeing kids have a good time and elevate their lives,” Aaron said. “He just loved to help out and see others succeed.”
Written by Simone Smith Photo by Aaron Trejo 14 | June 2022
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Atascadero News Magazine
5/24/22 8:09 PM
