Art is a second career for Fernando, who spent 17 years in banking in San Francisco. He began as a self-taught artist, then decided to seek formal art education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He received his BFA there in 1997. He then returned to the Bay Area and has lived in Oakland since 1998. Fernando works in his studio located in the Jingletown neighborhood in Oakland at the Ford Street Studios.
Throughout the years, Fernando has produced a large and diverse portfolio of artwork. His work is primarily representational and includes oil paintings, charcoal & conte drawings, and printmaking. Subjects include figurative nudes, landscape and urban scapes. His primary interest is in depicting the human figure. These works have captured the attention of collectors throughout the region, nationally and internationally.
Fernando has had many solo exhibitions and has been in many group exhibitions featuring his figure paintings, drawing and limited edition works on paper.