Artist Ernie Leyva

He spends half his life covered in dirt.

Ernie Leyva, installer of irrigation systems, digs ditches for area farmers and ranchers, lays their water pipes, replaces the soil.

But now, when work is slow, he spends most days in his Live Oak rental house letting his mind run things

“I don’t know why everybody goes

apes— over this,” he said on a recent weekday, gesturing to a stack of unmatted, unframed abstract paintings he’s created. “It baffles me that I even do it.”

Some of his watercolor/pen and ink creations — a series based on the Tudors of England as interpreted by William Shakespeare’s historic plays..You can also find some of Ernie’s works live at http://www.artsee.org/devents.htm