My journey as an artist began in search of myself. At the University of California, Santa Cruz my professor, Hardy Hanson, encouraged me to learn to draw by primarily drawing self-portraits. As a young collegiate I found myself not always recognizing the person in the mirror. Every portrait looked a little different, each project had a different expression, every drawing changed even though I continued to draw the same subject, me. I realized I could spend the rest of my life just drawing that single subject and never tiring of finding something new with who I was.
I continued to explore art and discovered printmaking. Although I had been painting since I was a freshman in high school, my primary loves were drawing and photography. Printmaking seem to be the perfect melding of the two media. My emphasis as an undergraduate were in in intaglio and lithography.
Through studying art history, I found that the artists that influenced me most were other artists drawing themselves. As a print maker my love for the art brought me to Albrecht Durer, Katie Kollwitz and Edvard Munch. As a woman of Mexican descent I was drawn to Frida Kahlo. Later in life I found Faith Ringgold to be an influential artist as well. These artists helped me to shape the way I think about craftsmanship, expression of self, and creativity.
I see art as the act of creation. The greatest art forms we create are ourselves, our children and our friendships. The physical art I create is a way to express who I am and who I want to be. When I am doing a photo shoot for friends, or a portrait of my daughter, I am offering up a little of who I am for them. As a teacher it is my greatest joy to pass on a love of art and creating art. It is my hope that every student leaves my classroom feeling like they are capable of creating something special, both outside and within themselves.
Albrecht Durer,1501;
Katie Kollwitz,1889;
Edvard Munch,1895;
Frida Kahlo,1926
Updated Artist Statement written February 5, 2009
