artist's statement

Having no formal training, I’ve found the best teachers to be those masters that came before me. From an early age, I would try to reproduce paintings and drawings to hone my skills and familiarize myself with technique, color, movement and composition. My early influences were Patrick Nagel, Diego Rivera, Paul Gaugin, Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Durer and Erte. Later I discovered Henri Matisse, Frida Kahlo, George Yepes, John Mellencamp, Juarez Machado, Alfred Mucha, Edward Hopper, Gustav Klimt and Edgar Degas. With such an array of different artists and different styles, I found the fusion of such influences to be a great asset to my own original works.

Being a fourth generation Mexican American, my heritage was a watered down version of my cultural roots. As I grew older, I longed for that connection and found that passion was being conveyed in my work. I felt at times “incomplete” and struggled with identity, often feeling despondent with my not being immersed in that which I wished to be a part of. But I have come to realize that, just as the artistic influences before me, there is a certain quality in being who I am, neither here nor there, but an amalgam of being a Modern Chicana in America.

2007
• November: "Twentieth Century Fox" [solo exhibit] : TBH Houston, Texas
• November: "Celebrating the Life and Passion of Frida Kahlo" : MECA, Houston, Texas
• October: "Dia de Los Muertos" : MECA, Houston, Texas
• October: "National Society of Hispanic MBA's Conference" : George R. Brown, Houston, Texas
• September: "Hispanic Heritage Month - LULAC" : Thurgood Marshall School of Law - TSU, Houston, Texas
• September: "Hispanic Heritage Day - HOLA" : Hewlett Packard, Houston, Texas
• September: "Carnival" : Next, Houston, Texas
• September: "Milestones" : MECA, Houston, Texas
• July: "Midnight Summer's Dream" : Redondo Gallery Houston, Texas
• July: "One" : Elder Street GalleryHouston, Texas
• July: "Divergency" : bohemeo's Houston, Texas
• June: "Destination Artspace" : Norwich, Connecticut
• May: "Cosmic Duality" : bohemeo's Houston, Texas
• April: "Art on Loan / City Hall Annex" : Houston, Texas
• March: "Sor Juana Festival" : MECA Houston, Texas
• February: "House Farmworkers Benefit" : Ventura, California
• February: "Art On Loan" : City Hall Annex Houston, Texas
• February: "The Human Form" : Eastman-Smith Gallery; Houston, Texas
• February: "El Corazon" : Bath House Cultural Center; Dallas, Texas
  
  2006
• December: "Texas Arts Alliance Juried Exhibit" : TAACL; Clear Lake, Texas
• December: "Fiesta Guadalupana" : MECA; Houston, Texas
• December: "Virgen de Guadalupe" : Mexico Lindo; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• November: "Hight's Cigar Factory Charity Auction" : M2 Gallery; Houston, Texas
• October: "Woman Where Are You Now" : Gallery 19; Houston, Texas
• October: "19th Annual Dia De Los Muertos" : Lawndale Art Center, Houston, Texas
• September: "Calacas" : Art Car Museum, Houston, Texas
• July: "Devoción" : Bombshell; Houston, Texas
• July: "Frida de mí Corazon", Houston, Texas
• May: "TR3S: Collective In Color" : 3 Muses Gallery, Houston, Texas
• February: "Kinky Friedman Fundraiser", Houston, Texas
• February: “Heights First Saturday, [solo exhibit] : Spanish Flowers; Houston, Texas
• January: “Heights First Saturday, [solo exhibit] : Spanish Flowers; Houston, Texas
  
  2005
• December: "Fiesta Guadalupana" : MECA; Houston, Texas
• December: Christmas Season : Talento Bilingue de Houston; Houston, Texas
• November: Dia de los Muertos: Retablos at Lawndale Art Center; Houston, Texas
• October: "Controversy" : Gallery 19; Houston, Texas
• September: City Hall Year Long Exhibit curated by Gus Kopriva; Houston, Texas
• September: "Mezcla" : J.P. Morgan Chase Heritage Hall; Houston, Texas
• August: Mexican Consul General; Houston, Texas
• June: Jaya; Houston, Texas
• April: “An Homage to Frida Kahlo”, online special collection exhibition at www.art.com
• March: "Huitzilpoctli" : MECA; Houston, Texas
• February: Baquero Gallery in Rice Village; Houston, Texas
  
  2004
• December: "La Virgen Exhibit" : MECA; Houston, Texas
• December: Christmas seasonal event : TBH; Houston, Texas
• November: Heights First Saturday, [solo exhibit] : Harold's in theHeights; Houston, Texas
• October: "Edward James Olmos Latino Book Festival, 3rd annual event" : George R. Brown Convention Center; Houston, Texas
• October: "The Everybody Show" : Marie Weichman Studio Galleries in the Heights; Houston, Texas
• October: "Dia de Los Muertos" : Standing Rock Cultural Arts Center; Kent, Ohio
• October: "Dia de Los Muertos" : MECA; Houston, Texas
• September: "First Annual Levity Ball and Art Show"; Houston, Texas
• August: "Auxilio" : MECA, Houston, Texas
• July: "Women in Art" : de Zeta Gallery, Houston, Texas
• June: Heights First Saturday, [solo exhibit]; Crickett’s Creamery and Café; Houston, Texas
• May: Heights First Saturday, [solo exhibit]; King Biscuit; Houston, Texas
• April: Pig n Pepper "Mad Hatter Teaparty" international artists exhibit; Kent, Ohio.
• March: "Band of Arts" : Helio's; Houston, Texas
• March: "Hispanic Heritage Night" [solo exhibit] : Toyota Center; Houston, Texas
• February: "Band of Arts / NHPO mixer"; Houston, Texas
  
  2003
• November: "Dia De Los Muertos" : Talento Bilingue de Houston; Houston, Texas
• October: "Edward James Olmos Latino Book Festival" : George R. Brown Convention Center; Houston, Texas
• July: [solo exhibit] : Helio's; Houston, Texas
  
  2002
• September: "Edward James Olmos Latino Book Festival" : George R. Brown Convention Center; Houston, Texas
• May: [solo exhibit] : Midtown Bagel Company; Houston, Texas
• May: "Quinta Esencia" : Estudio Shoelmann Gallery; Houston, Texas
• April: "Breaking Chains"; Houston, Texas
• March: “Cesar Chavez Cultural Center” : University Of Colorado, Chicano Studies; Greeley, Colorado.
• February: "Houston Justice for Peace Not War's Peace Festival"; Houston, Texas
  
  2001
• October: "Auxilio: An American Art Exhibition" : MECA; Houston, Texas
• September: “SMOM” (Sociedad Mutualista Obrera Mejicana) fundraiser [solo exhibit]; Houston, Texas
• March: "Burnt Offerings" [solo exhibit] : Talento Bilingüe de Houston; Houston, Texas