Van Arno was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1963, and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where he attended a Christian Science school from Kindergarten through High School. He was accepted at Otis Parsons School of Design in Los Angeles, where he studied under Carol Caroompas and Lita Albuquerque. More recently, he has been experimenting with painting in oil and egg tempera, and on plastered wood panels.

His ongoing fascination with the imagery of propaganda and its use of the heroic figure found new relevance recently, as Americanism was re-examined at home and abroad. Although he has been exploring non-narrative themes recently, his focus remains on the figure and it's power to engage the viewer.