Jeff Soto (born June 3, 1975) is an American contemporary artist. His distinct color palette, subject matter and technique have been said to bridge the gap between Pop Surrealism and Street Art. Early life Soto was born in Fullerton, California, the eldest of four brothers. His father, Jeffrey worked as an offset printer and was an outdoor enthusiast and taxidermist. His mother, Patricia was a homemaker. Soto grew up in a middle class household where creativity was encouraged. He developed an interest in animals and plants due to his parents’ various outdoor activities- gardening, fishing, falconry and camping. From an early age Soto showed an interest in drawing, painting, and storytelling. As a high school student, Soto began to experiment with various genres and art techniques including painting, photography, ceramics, and filmography. In 1992 and 1993 he was a California Arts Scholar and attended the California State Summer School for the Arts held at CalArts in Valencia. He graduated from Norte Vista High School in 1993. Education Soto attended Riverside City College from 1993 to 1999, and earned an associate degree in Arts. While at RCC, Soto experimented further with art, including works in sculpture, public artworks (graffiti and stenciling), abstract painting, and computer design. In 1999 Soto transferred to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena where he majored in Illustration and minored in Fine Art. That same year, Soto, disillusioned and bored with the state of graffiti art in the late 1990s, took what ended up being a decade long hiatus. He focused instead on both showing his work in local galleries and developing his illustration career. During these years, Soto was inspired by several of his Art Center instructors who were working as successful illustrators as well as showing the same work in galleries. Soto had his first solo exhibit during his last year in college. Potato Stamp Dreams opened at New Image Art Gallery in Los Angeles a few days after the September 11th terrorist attacks. As a student in 2002 Soto began to work in the field of illustration, with work appearing in American Illustration and Communication Arts. Soto graduated with Distinction from Art Center College of Design in April 2002. Influences Soto received his first skateboard as a gift at the age of 9. It was an early introduction to skateboard graphics which were a significant influence. Early on, horror, science fiction, and fantasy