I was born in the San Angel District
of Mexico City in 1947. Both of my parents were American artists.
I grew up identifying with Mexico and the southwestern desert.
My grandmother's adobe house with mud floors was dark inside
even on the hottest day. I started drawing pictures as a child
and never stopped. In my grandmother's living room hung a painting
of the Virgin of Guadalupe which she said had been owned by Maximillian
and Carlota. I think that my early familiarity with the Guadalupe
influenced me to paint icons later in life. I did not grow up
Catholic, but I was always interested in visual representations
of the saints and of archetypes. I attended the University of
Arizona, majored in art, and graduated with honors. In 1971,
living in Tucson, I painted a portrait of my sister surrounded
by saints. The next year I moved to Santa Fe where I encountered
the New Mexican tradition of painting " santos" or "retablos",
paintings of saints on wood. It was a natural medium for me,
and I have been making retablos since 1974.
I have my own style but I use traditional historic sources for
the saint attributes. I add my personal world of landscape, plants,
animals and humor. I am drawn to nature and the transcendence
of sacred images. |
