How do you capture experience? The want to capture life or at least aspects of the worlds in which we live drives the work I create. From this practice, I document moments of harmony as well as pain and confusion. My undergraduate paintings draw significant stylistic inspiration from the work of naive (a native style of art) artists in Guatemala. The paintings seek to understand what it means to be a bicultural person growing up in the United States. They try to signal to parts of my own life to let them know they’re documented, written down, cataloged, and told.
Ex-Voto Wall
This is a collection of paintings from my Undergraduate work. Inspired by the ancient practice of ex-voto creation. Traditional ex-votos are small compositions depicting scenes of divine intervention. They cover altar walls in churches, stacked sometimes haphazardly around and on top of each other: giving thanks for blessings received, ailments cured, loved ones returned, or a dangerous situation avoided.
While I did not grow up Catholic, the religion serves as a familial and cultural connection. There is also familiarity in giving thanks that connects both my mother and father’s sides of my life. The “ex-voto” scenes on this page give thanks to moments of intervention in my life. For moments of life and death as well as butterflies and sunshine.
Little Things, 2020, Acrylic on Masonite, 8 1⁄4”x 8 1⁄2”
Gracias a San Pascual, 2020, Acrylic on Canvas, 6”x 4”
The Courage, 2020, Acrylic on Masonite, 8 1⁄2”x 8 3⁄4”
A Helmet for your head, 2020, Acrylic on Masonite, 7 3⁄4”x 6 1⁄4”
Gracias a San Joseph, 2020, Acrylic on Masonite, 6 1⁄2”x 2 1⁄2”
Gracias a San Nicholas, 2020, Acrylic on Aluminum, 5”x 2 3⁄4”
Breath Deep, 2020, Acrylic on Masonite, 6 1⁄2”x 7 1⁄4”
Thankful for health, 2020, Acrylic on Masonite, 10”x 6 1⁄2”
Gracias a San Aloysius, 2020, Acrylic on Masonite, 7 1⁄2”x 3”
Sana Sana, 2020, Acrylic on Masonite, 7”x 7 3⁄4”
Healing Movement, 2020, Acrylic on Masonite, 10 1⁄4”x 8 3⁄4”
Gracias a San Jose, 2020, Acrylic on Canvas, 6”x4”
I’m Thankful for Allergy Meds, 2020, Acrylic on Masonite, 8 1⁄4”x 6 1⁄2”
Find and Lose Small Things, 2020, Acrylic on Masonite, 8 1⁄2”x 7”
The Soil, 2020, Acrylic on Masonite, 7”x 10”
A Comer, 2020, Acrylic on Glass, 10”x8”
Misty Eyes, 2020, Acrylic on Aluminum, 12”x 12”
Gracias a San Francis, 2020, Acrylic on Masonite, 11 1⁄2”x 2 1⁄4”
I’m Thankful For Life, 2020, Acrylic on Glass, 12”x 10”
Upstairs Lemonade, 2020, Acrylic on Masonite, 11”x 9 1⁄2”