The guiding spirit of the Oaxaca School was Rodolfo Morales, born in 1925 in the dusty village of Ocotlan. A solitary child, he became a keen observer of the world around him, and early discovered his ability to draw. His parents sent him to study at the Academia de San Carlos in Mexico City . Upon receiving his degree he began a career of teaching art at the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria in Mexico City. Morales worked in relative obscurity until 1975, when Rufino Tamayo took notice of his first solo exhibition in Cuernavaca and introduced him to the world. The old Oaxaca master's support led to further shows in Mexico and Europe, to critical acclaim and in time to commercial success. In 1985 Morales was able to give up teaching and return to his home village of Ocotlan to paint full-time.