When I’m not creating commissioned artwork for private, corporate and public clients, I am often playing around with other mediums. I have a passionate interest in folk art, and I enjoy exploring techniques and styles from a wide range of backgrounds. Travel is a driving force in my life, and on international trips, my husband and I enjoy tracking down local artisans or craftsmen to see how and where they work, and we collect examples to take home. My husband’s maternal grandparents immigrated from, and Mexico has become our favorite place to explore. It is easy to get to from the U.S., affordable in every way (flight, lodging, food), and increasingly accessible as we slowly and awkwardly pick up the language.
Fernando Arroyo Neri showing us a copy of a key he made for the Pope.
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see images of these travel adventures. Every region of Mexico, in fact, practically every little town, is known for a specific art form that is unique to that place. There will be several families in the town that have been making this type of craft for generations, and they are thrilled to open their doors wide to invite us in to see what they make, and to sell directly to us rather than having to go through a dealer. Our home is covered in eclectic folk arts, mostly from Mexico, and provides me with an endless source for inspiration, influencing my themes, color choices, and sense of whimsy.
This is a small selection of masks from different regions of Mexico.
Another factor in my creative ADD is having a child. From the time she could pick up an art tool, we have spent much of our time playing with every kind of medium I could introduce to her. The main reason I get to call art my job is that I quit work when I became a mom in 2003 because I was failing at juggling parenthood and a work schedule. And I was beginning to be commissioned by local businesses and homeowners. I did my first commissioned projects and art festivals with my baby strapped to my back, and as she grew, she did projects beside me. I barely worked in mosaic during those early years, because it wasn’t safe for a toddler. Instead, I made “recycled art” from anything I could get my hands on. I made a lot of fabric art from scraps; wearable items and wall art. Eventually, we created a large studio in an out building, and I set up a play area for my daughter. First, we used leftover wall paint to cover the concrete floor. I would pour the paint, and my toddler would use a big brush to spread and blend the colors. This is still a strong memory for her, now a teenager with crazy good art skills.
That’s my girl, painting the studio floor. (It’s about due for a new coat.)
So, we have bins and bins of materials of all kinds even now, and we still do fun craft projects together, especially during school breaks when I don’t have a major deadline. And I get totally distracted by needle-felting or lino-cutting or polymer clay or whatever, and I can’t stop! I end up with enough to put on etsy and try to earn back some of the cost of materials.
So, that’s what “Artistic Dalliances” means. These are other things I’ve done or that I do in between the commissions.
