Pedro Mendoza calls art his ‘hobby,’ but it has always been a part of his life—and now ours.

When he was 18, Pedro Mendoza’s life was upended. His family moved away from friends and familiarity in Mexico to Las Vegas, where the teenage immigrant landed work with a landscaping crew.

“I didn’t like it—too hot,” he recalls.

Now 29 and living in Soledad, Mendoza is a professional cook and a student at Monterey Peninsula College, where he studies computer science. But his passion lies with the sketch pad and canvas. The self-taught artist created the 2024 Jazz at the Ranch poster for Rancho Cielo, where Mendoza graduated from the Drummond Culinary Academy in 2019.

After coming to Monterey County and taking a job in agriculture, Mendoza earned his GED from Hartnell College. Along the way, he “heard about this school in Salinas.”

Mendoza credits Rancho Cielo for many of his achievements, even if they might seem modest. After completing the program, he worked in catering and then at Woody’s at the Airport, rising to sous chef. He now tends the kitchen at MPC’s cafeteria.

But all along, there was art. And when it came time to set the tone for Jazz at the Ranch, the team at Rancho Cielo turned to their former student.

Weekly: You were an unknown artist and now your work is on display.

Mendoza: That was a surprise for me. One day I had a call from Michael [Jacobi, Jazz at the Ranch’s artistic director]—“Would you like to do the poster?” 

I don’t see myself as an artist. It’s more of a hobby. I enjoy it, but I’m not so technical. Art is one of those things where I thought that I’m not good enough. Michael backed me up. The digital part was new to me. Drawing—I got it. Painting, I’m OK. Digital? The original was acrylic on canvas. I’m used to the feel of a pencil, the smell of paint. In my studio I can pick up an old brush and know what it can do. Digital feels heartless, but maybe that’s just me. 

When I finished I was nervous to show it. I thought, “Maybe they’ll be polite.” But they were surprised for real. My friends were like, “You did a good job.” 

People like the poster. That’s a win. Now I’ve started to like it. I’m always going to be hard on myself. I’m the one who always checks twice. It’s like that, even in the kitchen. It’s good to try to do your best. But I know the next time will be better.

How does it feel to be out there?

It feels good, to be honest. It’s a step I didn’t know I could achieve. Now I think I could make it a career, probably. The digital part of life is going to keep growing. I’ve been practicing with my iPad now.

When did you realize you liked art?

I’m not sure. It feels like it’s been since I can remember. When I was 5 or 6, my mom gave me pencils and notebooks. I started challenging myself. When I came to the U.S., it was difficult. I was away from my friends, my life. I went to my art more to make life happier. I still have a lot to learn.

Do you have a style?

I love portraits. I like the different gestures, the positions. I like the human figure. My favorite medium is oil. 

At home I like to copy old paintings—Renaissance, Baroque. Mainly I’ve been learning from the internet. It’s all on YouTube. The digital part of life is growing.

Yet when you went to Rancho Cielo, it was for the culinary program.

I never had the idea of becoming a chef. It’s fun to learn new things. It’s a whole new experience. In a professional kitchen you need to be fast, you need to be focused, you need a lot of things that will help you in life. And you enjoy it afterward. You did the job. It feels good. My job at the airport was great. It was learning every day. The kitchen is now my second-favorite thing.

Do you have a signature dish?

I don’t think I have one. I like to cook pasta and pizza. It’s the kind of food I cook at home. Maybe carne en su jugo, it’s a traditional dish from Guadalajara. I love Japanese food, but I don’t know how to prepare it. That’s something for next year. Cooking—you’ll never learn everything. There’s always something new.

If there is one thing that seems to drive you, it’s learning. Is that what brought you to Rancho Cielo?

My favorite place in California is Rancho Cielo. From the first day it changed my life. It’s a very different program. They give you skills to get the job. Any person I see that they don’t know where to take their future, I say just try it. It’s a good feeling to say, “Today I learned something new.”