Oaxaca series inspiration

Mexico has always held a special place in my heart. I grew up in Houston within driving distance of the border towns of Matamoros and Laredo and went there with my parents numerous times as a child.

I've also traveled to different parts of Mexico quite a bit as an adult, including a wonderful week in Oaxaca City 12 years ago for a salsa dancing retreat (dancing is another passion of mine!).

When I saw Seattle photographer Meghan Klein’s beautiful photos of Oaxaca on Instagram last year (see below), I was inspired to try to capture my memories of Mexico - all the vibrant colors, textures, sun, and warmth - in paint.

I wanted to explore abstracting the feel of old architecture combined with more modern/graphic elements. I was also intrigued by the contrasts between organic vs. structured and bold vs. delicate textures and marks found in Meghan’s images. These contrasts fit with my own memories of Mexico.

I started by coming up with a limited color palette. I was looking for lots of white, black, a warm wood color, the pale pinks and blues of tile, as well as the magenta of bougainvillea.

Once I settled on the palette, I started painting away! I began by playing in my sketchbook and on small pieces to find the colors and compositions that felt right. Then I moved on to creating many more pieces on paper, canvas, and board. From those, I chose 13 pieces for the final collection, which you can see in my shop.

Market Day, 12” x 12” acrylic and mixed media on canvas