|
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.
|
