Centofanti pursued a major in Architecture at San Bernardino Valley College (1974-77) and a major in music at San Diego State University (1977-82). He received his B.A. degree in 1982.
In 1983-87 Ernie’s primary focus at this time was portraiture, but in later years he expanded his subject matter to include still life (especially paintings of food), landscapes, and some figure painting. Animals were also a favorite. He has been interested in the medium of pastel ever since.
Since January 2001, Ernie has sold over 200 drawings and paintings on eBay.
In 1996 Ernie became a member of the Southern California Pastel Society, and two of his juried pieces won Best of Category for Still Life, and Honorable Mention for Figure Study/Animal, respectively. His works have been on display at local coffee houses, retail frame shops, and most recently at the Brava Gallery in Old Town, San Diego. He has done commissions for clients as far away as Great Britain, and has sold pieces to customers in the U.S, Canada, Great Britain, and other countries across the globe.
Between 1993 and 1999 he wrote and self-published three novels. Totalling 700 pages, the works are mainly in the genre of science fiction/horror and fantasy. In 1973 he began journalling, the results of which include some 2,000 pages.
Ernie Centofanti makes his home in Southern California. He often does commissions for portraiture of people and/or animals, as well as any other subject matter which may interest his clients.