I am part of a community and generation of artists that are lost. I seek to know what my ancestral heritage is. I can only relate my background to where my parents come from and study the culture and history of those countries, My mother is from Mexico; my father is from Guatemala. I have studied and have been influenced by the art history of both countries, from Post-revolutionary Mexican Muralism to Ancient Mayan stonework.
What has influenced my art the most are these cultures perceptions of life and death, and spiritual understanding and interpretation of animal life. In many cultures, mostly ancient, celebrate both life and death, anticipating and acknowledging it rather than ignoring and dreading it. Animal life is more of a polytheist perception in that gods and shamans take on animal forms as they enter the spiritual space, hummingbirds, rattlesnakes, jaguars, and bats.
Since I can remember the feather work of these cultures has influenced me, seeing their headdresses and the birds they worship such as hummingbirds, golden eagles, and the quetzal. I admire their love for these feathers and decided to reference their work in my paintings. Not nearly as difficult as plucking feathers and adhering them to a surface but intricate in making every small feather a single brush stroke, showing love for every shade, color, and movement the feathers have as they are presented on the canvas or a repurposed cupboard door.
Your mind and soul can die and be reborn again many times before your physical presence is gone for eternity. I'd like to show our position and transcendental views of how we see ourselves and change, knowing that one's way of life is not static but constantly changing as we are a part of time and space.