 Such good news!
I just received confirmation that 2 of my paintings have been selected to participate in the ANNUAL STATEWIDE COMPETITION at the Bountiful Davis Art Center on May 13th - July 16th, 2022. Opening Reception will be held on Friday, May 13th at 6 PM. A special thank you to Nancy Rivera & Chauncey Secrist.  Utah is a strange, charming place.
When the pendulum swings too far in one direction, it’s bound to create a vacuum in the equal and opposite direction. For all of its conservatism and strong Mormon presence, Utah possesses a vibrant and extremely well organized counterculture. My new series of paintings explores the interconnectedness of geography & experience in creating a sense of place. By way of autobiographical and oftentimes confessional artwork, the exhibition centers on my response to my new home environment in Salt Lake City, Utah from a distinctly Latina, American-in-waiting point of view.  Red attracts the most attention and is associated with strong emotions, such as: love, passion, and anger. It's the universal color to signify strength, power, courage, and danger. Red is vibrant, stimulating and exciting with a strong link to sexuality and increased appetites.
It's All About The Yes acrylic & mixed media on canvas 36 x 60 in.  Work In Progress: It's All About The Yes
Secondly, and somewhat related to the work: my beloved kundalini teacher recently challenged me to not wear black for a week. Seeing as my closet is 99% black, this exercise has proved to be excruciatingly challenging. I bought this pink sweater on impulse, and I've been wearing it nearly everyday since.  Iron-rich Utah dirt, salt from the Great Salt Lake, foraged sawdust, plaster, repurposed paint, metallic pigments and local newspaper to create ethereal, textured abstracts.
 I've often heard artists refer to their paintings as their "babies". Personally, this notion has always creeped me out a bit. If anything you're not giving birth to your artwork, your artwork is giving birth to you. Trust it.
 Currently, I am working on 6 commission paintings - None of which involve the use of hair. But when I recently got my haircut, I collected some of my own hair to infuse into a self-portrait. Curiosity fuels my creative process.
 My life ends with peace in my heart. This is not a morbid thought. I do not sit around and fantasize about death. Imminent death inspires me to LIVE and to create art that really inspires me. I am not easy to please. In order to move me, a piece of art must be bold, brave, authentic and it must be true.
There is so much to gain on the other side of fear. I'm a huge believer in manifestation. So just for fun, I designed my own cover of Artforum Magazine.  I want to be the kind of artist I revere. In order to make that happen, I know the kind of person I have to be and the kind of artwork I want to create. That means I am going to have to change some things. I hope you'll join me for the ride. I promise it won't be boring.
Wide Awake, 2022 acrylic & mixed media on canvas 36 x 48 in.  Post-Coital Tristesse, also known as post-coital dysphoria, is the feeling of sadness, anxiety, agitation or aggression, after sexual intercourse or masturbation. Its name comes from the New Latin postcoitalis and French tristesse, literally "sadness".
Post-Coital Tristesse, 2022 acrylic & mixed media on canvas 36 x 60 in. |