[2] Arning was born to a German homesteading family, that had settled in the Germania region of Texas, 15 years prior.
[2] As a young adult, he was institutionalized for schizophrenia, spending one year in hospital prior to returning home, only to be re-institutionalized in 1934 for violent acts.
In 1964, after 30 years in the institution,[2] he was introduced to crayons by Helen Mayfield, an Austin artist who worked in the hospital that summer, and began coloring.
[3] After a few years of using crayons, Arning switched to oil pastels and began producing more complex compositions.
His early works were autobiographical and depict scenes from his childhood with animals, flowers, windmills and churches.