The feelings of the season

If you are like me by now you are sick and tired of Christmas. The constant advertising - mind you, my bread and butter - can be a little too much. Or maybe I am just older and a little bit wiser and realized that the real spirit of the season is giving something more important than a shirt or the latest toy: it's sharing love and kindness, it's calling that person that is all alone and saying hello or invite good friends to a yummy dinner and some good old laughter... Anyway that is my mood, just wanted to share it. May this Christmas find you in good health and surrounded by those who love you. The Beatles had it right, in the end that's all we need. Merry Navidad!

Never too late to say Gracias!

Dying is part of life. The road we all will take at some point. But losing people that changed our life is never easy. This year I have lost one amazingly strong lady and big influence and a man who I never met but was always a constant reminder of what we can accomplish. I owe them both a lot.

Mama my grandmother lived to be 97 years old. Up until the day she went away, she was knitting and embroidering, always with a crossword puzzle book next to her rocking chair, some baseball game on tv… her mind forever active. She was a true puertorrican, teaching us about our history better than the teachers at school, was an amazing cook and the unbeatable champion at playing jacks and baraja española. Her love for her family was only matched by her love of plants. She always wanted me to paint her a flamboyán, I never did. I will regret it forever.

Then just a few weeks ago, another big influence decided to say goodbye to this dimension. A lot has been said about Steve Jobs, not all good, nobody is perfect, but as a designer, I am heartbroken. There I was fresh out of school trying to prove to the world that I can be a good artist. Had no idea that this guy from California (those California guys always helping me ;) had dreamed and created the tools that will help me on my path and set my imagination free. Got my first Apple at my very first job and it was love at first sight… been a loyal Apple girl ever since. No Microsoft and good Mr. Gates for me, I was a Jobs fan, arrogant, ambitious, brilliant. His creations were so beautifully designed. Every detail was perfectly in place and everything had a purpose. The bar was raised so high that so far nobody has been able to reach it.

I know there are millions of good designers out there with the same passion and obsession and totally able to fill his shoes and continue the legacy, hopefully start their own. But whoever that is, will forever have to give thanks to the California dude who inspired it all.

What happens after we die? The big question. Do we see our loved ones again? Do we become one with the universe? Do we just go to the ground and feed the maggots and become compost and feed trees? Honestly, don't wanna know just yet. I will keep my memories of those I love tight around my heart while I write and paint about it in my Mac.

Acero Tropical

Means tropical steel, but sounds way better in Spanish.
This whole series started with my weird obsession to find faces in inanimate objects. There I was up on the roof helping my favorite handy man, when I started noticing tropical animals carved in our tools. Maybe it was the desert heat, maybe it was hunger mixed with tropical homesickness, but an idea was born. So took a few pictures of the tools and with a mechanic mouse started carving out the faces inside the metal.

Evolution is a funny thing. Maybe this is the way our animals will survive global warming killing their habitats. Then again, maybe I should just eat something..

Making my mami proud

Vintage Irene

My mom is an amazing seamstress. For years she tried to teach me to sew. "Takes too long, soooo boring!" - I used to say. But oh yes, karma is a bitch. Many years later, got a job at a fabric store and suddenly found myself surrounded by gorgeous fabrics and BAM! the creativity couldn't stop. A hopeful seamstress has awoken.

Would they be a bag? a cushion? trash?

So for my birthday got this beautiful vintage sewing machine named Irene, in memory of her original owner. Though have no idea how to even start, I already have a few projects lined up along with my first fabric victims. Let the sewing begin :)
Just one question remains: Did mami know all along????

Something to remember life by

Maybe it is because everything around us today is so sad and depressing - earthquakes, tsunamis, wars, confusion - but when the flowers in my garden started blooming, I got stupidly happy. The sun was finally shining and you can wear sandals again. Hello Spring!

So I grabbed the camera and took pictures of flowers. Wanted to capture the sunlight on them. After that, started thinking about the moments that make up a life. Some are big life changing ones, but most are just about living day by day. And in these days of "everything is right now", even those get pictures. Gone are the days of just showing pictures of your last vacation, now even the pizza you had for lunch gets a pic and an audience. I like that.

Here are a few of my moments to remember life by. Some are vacations, some are just everyday life. Hope you enjoy them.

6AM. Sunrise in Ocean Park.

An act of kindness

Enjoying the sunset.

Chips and beer. Cheers!

Sunlight going thru the pine trees

The sun hits the Orpheum in LA

Remember: always look up!

Our Lonely Planet shot

Traffic at sunset in Hollywood.

Chillin' Kitty

Leap of Faith. Leap for Love.

I know, sounds like a sappy romantic movie, but it is true. Exactly a year ago I was a nervous wreck, I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't stop crying. Was leaving behind everything I knew: friends, family, home, work, contacts, hangouts, comfort zone; grabbing a suitcase, my cat and flying away.

Oh, enough drama. Who am I kidding? It was the happiest day of my life :D Of course it wasn't easy, but it was a new adventure, shared with the love of my life (and the cat). How has it been so far you ask? Lovely. A good reason to celebrate.

Don't be afraid to take the leap, it could lead you into a wonderful new world. Cheers!

Torture Playlist

Ever noticed how when you are feeling the saddest, most depressed and lonely the iPod decides to play exactly the song that's gonna make you feel... worse?????!!! Oh yes, we've all been there. Some control needed to be gained, so I created a Torture Playlist and play it whenever I wanted to just feel miserable.

But that being not enough, I started painting and illustrating some of the songs on the list. These are mostly mixed media pieces created to embrace the blues and then let them go... 

A case of you

Where are you going?

She belongs to me

You and Me

Just like a Woman