Migration- 1997

Migration - well the word is very bold, an action that a group of people or animals that move from one place to another.... That is what this painting is all about.

This landscape was created using materials such as shoe polish, flying mosquitoes and 22k gold leaf torched into the painting with some bee pollen. All of this was to create a statement of MIGRATION. Pollen- it migrates with the wind and settles in other places, flying bugs they migrate where the leftover food is, gold is moved all over the world. This is about how people migrate from one country to another country.

Lupita del El Cenizo, TX

In El Cenizo, Tx where the official language for doing business is Spanish. This little community has a community center that was created by Texas A&M University Colonias Program which I was very much part of building it and bring it together back in 1995. On the north wall there are a series of murals that where done by local artist some sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and Texas Commission on the Arts. There on the sires of mural is one in particular that the community call it (la lupita del cenizo) it was painted by Juan de Dios, this lupita has been there for over 15 yeas never been tagged by the graffiti bully's. Other murals parts have been tagged and some are nearly destroyed, but this one is still undisturbed or harmed. Residents of the community still show respect to this mural and in any given day you would find offerings left there as a sign of respect to the image.

When first planned to put such image no one would have thought that this respect would happen. Today this mural still stands untagged and demonstrating hope to those who passing by and paying homaged to the Lupita of El Cenizo. Candals, milagros and ofrendas are being left asking for help or just a simple thank you to the Lupita.

Prossesion Girl

In San Antonio, Texas you have market square, San Fernando Cathedral and Main Plaza all in a 10 block radius. People gather for any occasion in any of these locations, to walk the plaza or to meet someone for fun or to go shopping. Yesterday there was a procession for someone who died long ago. It was the anniversary of their loved one who had passed away.

I was inspired to do a quick drawing on paper with charcoal. The girl was caring a big Mexican flag over her shoulder and was proud of doing it. She had walked from market square to main plaza which is in front of San Fernando Cathedral. This was where they where going to honor their loved one. This was a moving moment for that family and I was moved to do this drawing.

TOMS Event at La Cantera

Have you ever heard of a company that would sell shoes and for every pair that they sell one goes to someone that has no shoes to wear? Well that is TOMS Shoes. I was part of 5 regional artists that worked on individuals' shoes that where purchased that day. It was wonderful painting on shoes. I kept my unique way of painting with Latino themes and everyone like them. This event was a hit. I had a line customers going out of the department.

Here you see the most popular ones were the Calavera of Catrinas and Catrin for dia de Los Muertos. They where fun to make.

Las Papas from fabulous Bandera Rd.

Live in living color. The potato can perform and talk. This is seeing potatoes taking and singing and trying to be humans. Your mother always said not to play with your food, but here I am playing with my food. It was funny, I saw them at the produce market and I had just had to have them. They made me think that they had to have a show on their own at the produce market. This is so bad but good. So I called them Las Papas. They are sweet potatoes that have character and are all organic... what a look! I feel that they should have their own talk show on public access. Well that is something to think about.