Artist Statement
As a scholar of art history and museum studies I have a breadth of artists that I look to for inspiration. My art depicts people, places, designs, and my dreams. Photographs, drawings, and paintings are my preferred media. I have a collection of photographs from places I've lived, travels, and people. Drawing and painting the people and places I love are how I learn about others experiences. The topic of inequities towards women and what femininity means to me also appears in my works, they are inescapable as a Latina woman of color. I have hit a mental shift in my world views. Translating this into my body of work is challenging, in 2019 I became a mother, lost my brother in 2020, and now when I look at nature, people and places it all seems more precious. This spectrum of emotions that I am experiencing makes for great art and inspiration. The range of emotions we have the privilege of experiencing and how art allows me to express these sentiments, are messages I hope to convey to my audience.
My photographs range from candid shots of people doing mundane things, to being able to tell a narrative. Photographs enable one to relive a moment in time in our minds again, and this is why I enjoy the medium. Showing symmetry, clean lines, and vibrant hues are the things you will find throughout my works regardless of the medium. Flowers and plants are what I consider to be as close to perfection as anything can get, I especially enjoy the geometric patterns found in nature, and this inspires me to include nature in my art.
Artist Tamara de Lempicka's works that depict women with chiseled edges to their features that are also supple all at once, are pure inspiration. The vibrancy of her colors, the sfumato that veils her depictions of the human figure, makes her women subjects seem like glamorous heroines. This is something I aspire to achieve for the women I depict in my works. The oppositional qualities of dark shadows next to vibrant colors and the hard and fast lines of a jaw line next to a round marshmallow cheek are depictions of sublime balance in painting. This motivates me to create art that evokes the tension that she portrays. I know I'm not there yet, but the more I create and self-reflect on my craft, the closer I get to being satisfied with my work. I tend to depict my version of femininity as capable through thicker legs and arms, wild flowing hair, and vibrant pigments. That’s partially because that is the way I see myself: crazy hair, strong, capable, and an artist.
While I am capable of teaching and nurturing future artists and students, I know I have more to learn as an artist. As a lifelong learner always curious about things, this is an exciting notion. I am finding that now is a perfect time to take advantage of the skills I possess in photography, drawing, and painting. I'm honing in on my creativity and discovering new ways to express myself through my artwork to bring about a more evolved, and risk-taking artist within myself. One thing remains the same, that is that I still love the media I work in, though I am experimenting with digital art at the moment. Even though I neglect my artistic inclinations at times, whenever I choose to use my artistic skills once again they are always there to welcome me back on paper, canvas or whatever medium I choose.