Ruth Acuna
I am finishing my B.F.A with double concentration in Painting and Drawing having a minor in Ceramics. I love to paint landscapes as well as abstraction having my own lines, which intercept with each other having certain fluency as they were moving creating depth.
My inspiration has been Sterling Ruby, who makes beautiful paintings and sculptures with different medium.
Kissing : Having interception forming beautiful shapes
Sunset : Observing the sky is beautiful as all nature by itself that brushes can project as the sky is, which is very beautiful.
Colors are Beautiful : Combining colors no matter what is the media can produce beautiful artworks.
Alexi Bernard
Currently studying painting at UTEP, Alexi Bernard uses art to explore themes of capitalism, power and control, spirituality and play. Her work ranges from abstract to representational to magical realism.
‘If I did it again, I would leave at the first red flag’ is the artists first attempt at using contemporary art to discuss Domestic Violence. Domestic violence often begins with a series of seemingly innocent moments. When placed in context with one another, they signify a larger issue. This vessel is a painted memory of a seemingly innocent moment that in hindsight was the first red flag.
Mike Bombach
As a child I was always interested in nature. It began when I went on a camping trip with my father. I was fascinated when I saw the forest for the first time and the big difference from being in the city. The smell, the weather, the ambiance and its beauty captivated me. I have kept my love for mother nature throughout the years and still hold its value to the highest. Using clay gives me the opportunity to take the simplest of raw materials and create something beautiful that helps me connect with the person buying my work on a deeper level. There is a personal connection between the potter and the one who is using the potters work. Whether it’s a coffee mug, a bowl, a plate or even a teapot, the user is connected to my work that I have created. I feel that connection when I see my brother enjoying a cup of coffee, while using one of my mugs, with a smile on his face. I base a lot of my work on nature, such as teapots that look like turtles, or a beer mug that looks like a wooden barrel. I like basing some of this work in order to pay homage to my love for nature. Although my current work involves a lot of mechanical objects such as gears and steel plates, I still like to go back and make my turtle teapots and wooden barrel beer mugs. It gives me great satisfaction when I make a pot and people fall in love with it and want it in their homes. I personally would want a piece sitting in someone’s home rather than be in a gallery. I think of my pots as a thing that needs a companion. I have done a project with a group of fellow veterans, promoting mental health. As someone who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, pottery saved my life. I found that working with clay, gave me the therapeutic escape that I needed. I will continue to work with clay as long as I am able to and keep providing a pot for a home in need.
There are a variety of shapes and sizes of pots that I can create. My favorites are the ones that are in resemblance of a wooden barrel or animals that I love. I have had great success in making a teapot that looks like a turtle. A turtle symbolizes wisdom, and is also the oldest Native American clan, according to the Lakota nation. I like making turtle teapots in lots of varieties. I do this because they become a part of who I am. It gives me great satisfaction when someone picks up my teapot and wants to take it home. I feel like I have provided a home for my teapot where it will be loved and cared for. I am not looking for greatness as an artist, or to be in galleries around the world. I simply like to make pots for the person that would use it and take care of it. It is the old ways of a potter.
The Happy Tortoise : There are a variety of shapes and sizes of pots that I can create. My favorites are the ones that are in resemblance of a wooden barrel or animals that I love. I have had great success in making a teapot that looks like a turtle. A turtle symbolizes wisdom, and is also the oldest Native American clan, according to the Lakota nation. I like making turtle teapots in lots of varieties. I do this because they become a part of who I am. It gives me great satisfaction when someone picks up my teapot and wants to take it home. I feel like I have provided a home for my teapot where it will be loved and cared for. I am not looking for greatness as an artist, or to be in galleries around the world. I simply like to make pots for the person that would use it and take care of it. It is the old ways of a potter.
Flor Fabela
I was born in El Paso, TX but raised for most of my childhood in the sister city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Raised by a single mother a grandfather, my story can be a little too common for a border town, but for me it defined my character. I have lived in several cities in Mexico, such as Chetumal, Quintana Roo and Chihuahua, Chihuahua, especially pursuing a degree in Anthropology. Due to an illness, I was unable to complete my degree and had to go back to El Paso. Shortly after, I got married and became a military wife for four years in Holloman AFB in Alamogordo where I founded my small business in 2013. After my husband finished his service, he pursued a degree in Mechanical Engineer and I decided to attend UTEP pursuing a degree in Printmaking with a minor in Graphic Design. I never imagined myself as an artist even though art has always been appealing to me, and now to learn art has been the most exciting experience of my life. It is hard to describe the way I feel when I go through the process of creating a personal piece, but I think the closest thing would be "alive".
Some of my the artists that inspire me include Ai Weiwei, Frida Kahlo, Zdzisław Beksinski, Chuck Close, Diego Rivera, Edvard Munch, Banksy, Van Gogh, Georges Seurat
Corazon de la Tierra : Watercolor &Inspired by the pain that the femicide wave that has devastated Mexico since the 90s has caused in Mexican society, this work explores ideas of death and carnage mixed with nature and femininity, rawness and tradition.
Flor Del Desierto - Self Portrait : A rather unconventional self portrait, this work explores personal interests of the artist as well as a deep connection to the desert, nature, and music.
Viendo a mi Tierra : A painting study in which the artist uses items that remind of Mexico
Elizabeth Flores
My artistic style is formed by my experiences and how I see and feel them. It can range from quite literal depictions to expression used.
My current work focuses on exploring the themes of emotions, healing, and empathy and expressing the varying degrees of each through different mediums, colors, light, and textures. I tend to draw inspiration from my personal experiences and identity, specifically from becoming paraplegic and wheelchair-bound due to breaking my spine in a motor vehicle accident.
I'm Okay… : This work is a representation of the facade put on for the outside world to see while one is internally in turmoil. It is a commentary on mental health and how, just like porcelain, we are fragile beings. $900
Verte : This work is a representation my having suffered a spinal cord injury. After breaking my back, rods and screws were drilled into my back in order to hold my vertebrae together, represented by the use of metal as a medium. Each individual vertebrae is able to rotate independently to indicate how my spine was moved or twisted out of place when it was fractured.
Casitas Fronterizas : This work portrays the view of the houses in Juarez that I, and many other borderland residents, see as we drive on the 375 highway. While driving on the bridge, seeing the colorful casitas peppered on the mountains, it feels almost as if there was no fence between Juarez and El Paso. It evokes memories of the time I lived in Juarez, and constantly crossed the border. The Casitas and iconic mountain are held in a vessel symbolizing the fence. The fence in this piece is small, to embody that feeling of its absence while driving over the bridge, and how ‘small’ that fence once was when crossing the border was not such a huge task as it has recently become with the pandemic and immigration issues.
Fatima Fuentes
I am currently a Sophomore UTEP student, currently studying for my Bachelor of Studio Art's in Graphic Design with a Minor in Painting.
I am studying hard to be an animator after graduating at the University of Texas at El Paso that my artwork will help to create a portfolio and gaining better skills.
Graveyard : A subtractive drawing of working the opposite drawing. That it's only cover the piece with charcoal, then rubbing an eraser (for the lightest tone).
Abandoned City : A two-point of perspective architecture drawing.
Paper Bags and Styrofoam Cups : A still life drawing on using toned sheet of canson paper using both charcoal and white conte sticks. For transitional middle tones and highlight areas.
Cynthia Garcia
My artistic style incorporates ideas that come from psychology in a form of "psycho surrealism"
Inspiration comes from the Rorschach psychological tests that are a set of inkblots that were used to measure unconscious areas of a subjects personality. The typical inkblots have this symmetry to them that I try to replicate in my paintings, to create a dual appearance.
Affect : This has a play on the homograph word "effect". Creating forms that may have an underlying experience on a person's emotions, feelings and mood. $400
Allude : Using the alluding color purple that will represent the dual qualities of its meaning being wisdom and spirituality. $150
Gilberto Manuel Hernandez
My name is Gilberto Seanez, I am a graphic design and printmaking student at the University of Texas at El Paso. I was born in El Paso, Texas but raised in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. At the age of 17 years old, I came back to El Paso and graduated from El Paso High School. My interest in art began at a very young age when my parents decided to enroll me in fine arts courses at the Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez in the Fine Arts department. I took from piano to paint and drawing courses, each one of them helped to develop my creativity and made me eager to learn more about art. My artistic style has also evolved with the classes and knowledge I have been able to take. I tend to make my art the most realistic I can and represent truthfully what I am experiencing and seeing in my community and around the world.
The inspiration for these art pieces is the social-political events that happened or are happening around the world. I felt the need to represent these events because they represent things that we should pay attention to because humans are dying every day, but sometimes because they are events that occur far away or the people are from a poor part of the world, we do not take them into consideration. Many of these events affect our lives and we just simply ignore them because we do not feel directly affected by them.
Maldito Gobierno : During the 1968 student protests in Mexico City, the government killed thousands of young people because it was afraid of new ideas, and the only way they reacted was by killing the future of a country. This artwork is to remember how the future of Mexico was killed by cowards and hypocrites that were all a part of the government.
¡Viva Zapata!
Help Me!
Julianna Hernandez
Julianna Hernandez was born in Chandler, Arizona in 1999. She is anticipating to graduate from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in the fall of 2021 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) in Drawing and a minor in Painting. Her work captivates the viewers’ eyes by her use of fun, playful colors.
My work consists of a continuous exploration of line, color and movement. My main focus and priority are to have fun during the process of making a piece and to reflect my personality through the bright, bold hues I choose to paint with. My work can vary greatly between fun and playful to tight and structured sometimes resulting in a combination of both.
Hey, Big Head : Big head, small thoughts. The constant feeling of thinking too much or not thinking enough… my brain is fried and sometimes my head feels like it's going to explode! This painting represents that thin line between doing too much and doing too little. Enough is enough, I am more than enough.
Peace : Peace and tranquility, are what I long for the most. Living in an unpredictable life is difficult but appreciating the little things in it is easy. Letting go of that Big Head and instead, welcoming that Peace.
Karen Hernandez
Born and raised in El Paso, Karen Hernandez is a self-taught artist who is currently studying for a degree in Studio Arts at UTEP. They mainly illustrate and animate stylized characters digitally through the use of painting software but have been emphasizing on exploration with traditional mediums this past year. Karen has utilized pastels, watercolors, and charcoal to render detailed, still life demonstrations in a different art style from their usual cartoon inspired look.
As cliché as it sounds, Karen is inspired by nature itself. The way that light plays with shadows, a person’s movement and the colors that bring light to this world can all be portrayed in art. They do not have a specific style yet since nature can be painted, sketched and animated in all mediums as long as you are inspired.
Teapot : “Teapot” is based around a still life demonstration we had to render during a class. I took this opportunity to explore reflective surfaces and vibrant colors that would accentuate each of the forms. These colors are also supposed to create a lively mood within the piece.
Carrots : This piece was another instance in which I experimented with the material and the color wheel in a controlled manner. Since the main focus of the composition was a carrot, I chose warmer tones to create an Earth-y feel for the overall work. “Carrots” was a still life that was meant to be similar to “Teapot” but with a different set of hues.
Cup Hoard : A messy scene of Styrofoam cups, reflective decorations and other sculptures sealed in one composition. I have recently found the concept of exploring different surfaces fascinating since texture is one of the major elements of art. I enjoyed working in black and white to make sure my values were correct and that the implied textures were readable by any audience.
Michelle Hernandez
My name is Michelle Hernandez, I’ve been drawing and painting since I was a kid, but I discover my passion again until college. I based my style in going with the flow and usually abstraction and deconstruction of normal paintings.
These three different artworks have each own meaning, mostly weird ideas that I have portrayed and unfixing my normal artwork.
Self in COVID time : It started as just simple flowers, but our self-portrait had to become the main character. COVID times have change our lives, college and how we see ourselves (literally).
Simpleness Imperfection : Sometimes real life art can become a masterpiece with graphics. Representation of a simple eye and imperfection of lines creates this artwork.
Tired of Looking
Chris Hurtado
Christopher Daniel Hurtado is an El Paso native multidisciplinary artist. He has given back to the community through public art and fundraisers and founded what is now known as Arte Con Corazon alongside other local artists. He has curated and collaborated on many projects with local and out-of-town artists. His work can be seen publicly and in galleries. He has exhibited work in The Rubin Center, Galeria Lincoln, Casa Ortiz, Glass Gallery, El Paso Community College, Loft Light, The Chamizal National Park, and many more. He has juried the Y.I.S.D. Virgen de Guadalupe Art Show, the Y.I.S.D. Black History Month Art Contest, among others. He received my Associate's Degree in Applied Science from El Paso Community College and is currently attending The University of Texas at El Paso for his BFA. The inspiration for his art changes constantly, and he does not limit himself to one particular style. Part of his inspiration comes from the 90s hip hop and graffiti culture. He combines a narrative with representational and non-representational subject matters. His work tends to have a collage feel to it at times. His artwork at the moment is a reflection of many decades of graffiti art, comic books, music, art history, humor, surrealism, everyday life experiences, border issues, and shapes and patterns.
My work's subject matter consists of images I find amusing, which I combine to create a surreal world. Some works are drawn in a monochromatic and naturalistic manner to make the surreal content more convincing. I work with mixed media from time to time but stuck to one medium for these artworks. My work does not deliver a set message rather it allows the viewer to interpret my work in their way. My work speaks through the viewer and takes on many roles because of this. Some of my work combines representational and non-representational subject matter to create a world of my own. The process of my work is slow and consists of very little planning. Everything in my work constantly fluctuates and evolves. Living in the moment and not sticking to one particular narrative or style allows me to make constant adjustments to my subject matter. Each piece is unique because what I am feeling, seeing, hearing, and sometimes conversing about at the moment usually shows in my work.
Cerealism : This is a drawing done all in pink ball point pen. I decided to use the void to my advantage to draw the viewer in closer. The subject matter is drawn in a naturalistic manner. This makes the images combined in a surreal manner convincing the viewer that the drawing is of reality. $1200
Mayor Potencia : Growing up in the lower valley of El Paso Texas the lowrider culture was always a big part of my life. My father was also in a car club and always had classical cars. This truck in the painting is a classic truck that has been passed down from my grandfather to my father and eventually passed down to me. Religion and the pressures of religion have also always been a part of growing up in the lower valley part of El Paso Texas. Since I started working a 12 step program my idea of a loving higher power has changed. The truck in the painting symbolizes a higher power and depicts that a higher power does not have to be in the shape or form of Jesus or the Virgen de Guadalupe, just as long as that higher power is loving and caring. The yellow truck represents the idea of a higher power. $1200
Crystal Blue Persuasion : This is a drawing done all in blue ball point pen. I decided to use the void to my advantage to draw the viewer in closer. The subject matter is drawn in a naturalistic manner. This makes the images combined in a surreal manner convincing the viewer that the drawing is of reality. $350
Adriana Linares
I’m a senior at utep, love to experiment with different media’s to create my art
I was mostly inspired by the nature of clay, I let the clay move on it’s on nature not forcing it to do what I wanted.
Untitled : Experimenting with clay and it’s own nature. $90
Untitled : Experimenting with clay and it’s own nature.
Leslie Lira
Undergraduate student majoring in Studio Art (BFA) with a concentration in drawing and a minor in painting. My artwork consists of naturalistic art style and technique, which I am still mastering as I become a professional artist at UTEP. My artwork is based on series that explore different issues such as social construction.
I got interested in art when I saw Bob Ross paintings on the PBS channel in my childhood that inspired me to major in art. Now my inspirations are based on the people I met, and artists such as Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dalí, Mark Tansey and many more.
Stalking Series 1 : This painting explores a social construction issue that has been happening in Japan. The stalking crisis that Japan is experiencing are targeted mostly at idols and women. In this painting, I wanted my audience to understand and feel the victim's danger of being stalked. In addition, I want this painting to bring awareness to this issue that has been persisting on other nations. $5,500
*Stalking Series 2 : $5,700
*Stalking Series 3 $5,700
Alan Lizarraga
As a Chicano artist, I seek to capture the essence of what being caught in two worlds feels like. La Frontera—a place where two worlds become one. A world full of vibrance, rich history, culture, and tradition. Many of my works showcase abstract and cubist styles. However, I am still developing my own style as I continue my journey at The University of Texas at El Paso, where I am minoring in Graphic Design. In the meantime, I enjoy experimenting with different mediums, surfaces, and styles to translate emotions into colorful and geometric figures.
All Frontera Folks know the beauty and complexity of Bordertowns, El Paso being a clear example. Yet—in the eyes of outsiders, Fronteras are dangerous places where hopes and dreams come to die. As an emerging artist, I aspire to demonstrate to the rest of the country that our dreams are big, bold, colorful, and most importantly valuable. My art is inspired by my experiences, challenges, and heritage
Self-Portrait I : In this Self-Portrait I am exploring with abstract and cubist styles. I decided to draw my face in two different styles—yet still highlighting my predominant features. My eyes, eyebrows, nose, and the curls that form in my wavy hair are mirrored in the abstract form.
Self-Portrait II : Many say, that eyes are the window to the soul. In this Self-Portrait I am seeking to reconnect with my other half. The eyes and faces represent emotions while the colorful mosaic shapes represent logic. This composition is a window to my mind, where emotions clash with rationality.
Chuco Olympics : This illustration was designed for an assignment given by my Graphic Design instructor. The task was to create pictograms that represented events in the Olympic Games. The challenge was that the pictograms had to also showcase El Paso’s rich culture, history, and people. I chose to design the Olympic Games pictograms as Papel Picado banners as it showcases our people’s Mexican cultural heritage. Papel Picado is also believed to provide guidance
Jorge E. Martinez
I like to create sensational moments and within these moments are hidden stories. Designing, drawing, and painting is something I truly enjoy; it helps me remind me who I am as an individual and as a artist.
As an artist I like to portray visions using traditional styles and techniques of art. I like to capture the beauty in objects and places. I am fascinated about my city, beautiful places to enjoy every day, everyone has a story to share with us. Each of my stories helps me to remind me who I am as an individual.
Barrio Duranguito : Duranguito is one of the oldest barrios, or neighborhoods, in El Paso, Texas, and it is on the verge of being demolished. Over one-third of the area’s residents have already been displaced, with the rest imminent. This place and the experiences of the mostly low income, largely immigrant and elderly vecinos who currently live there are essential to telling the unique and full history of our community. $100
No Space : Unpublished poster on the topic: No course to the interior space. $100
Desahogo : In this piece Desahogo/Relief I wanted to portray the feeling of relief after an uncertainty of a problem that sometimes we think has no end. $500
Mathew McIntyre
Multidisciplinary artist.
My work is inspired by my lived experiences.
Hawaiian
Self portrait as a child
Kite Lines : Personal narrative vessel.
Christopher Melero
I try to step out of the boundaries of everyday art. I want my audience to really think about my artpiece.I am self-taught artist.This is also my first attempt with ceramics at UTEP.
I'm inspired to catch viewer's eyes and see their reaction to my work.
Life Isn't a Joke : I was trying to project ,that life is precious and fragile. $150
Eye Vessel : I wanted to symbolize hot and cold,there are two sides to this vase $150
Zenomorph : I was going for a futuristic look and a form that is not typical $200
Zayra Mojica
Zayra Mojica is a contemporary fantasy realist painter that resides in El Paso, Texas. Mojica explores the themes of identity, gender and sexuality within her oil paintings. She creates a fantasy world with her palette that blurs the line of gender specific colors. The use of the androgynous figures, and color palette question the audiences own conceptions of identity.
My artworks are inspired by my own thoughts of self identity. Growing up, I had realized I did not like confining myself to gender-specific things. I always felt that I was more attracted to the an androgynous-like aesthetic. Which has created this series of paintings.
Underwater Dreaming : My mind often feels like its surrounded by its own sea of thoughts. The strokes of colors floating all around are thoughts waiting to conceptualize. The figure floats endlessly as ones mind never stops thinking. $2100
I often look at celebrities and question the validity of their personalities. We all can't help but idolize those in the spotlight, even though at times they seem otherworldly. My fascination with this series is to create commentary with modern day idolization. $300
Look at Me : I often look at celebrities and question the validity of their personalities. We all can't help but idolize those in the spotlight, even though at times they seem otherworldly. My fascination with this series is to create commentary with modern day idolization. $280
Kaelyn Monarrez
I'm Kaelyn Monarrez and am passionate about all forms of art. My inspiration comes from working with my father, where he dedicated his time to teaching me from the early age of 3. He taught me to draw from the heart and to not be afraid to use different media to convey my emotions. My obsession with sketching my thoughts and making them into an art piece gives me happiness and tranquility. My work consist of ink and acrylics and usually includes emotions that I feel when I am completing a piece of art.
My use of vibrant colors in my artwork emphasizes the refreshing take of my innermost thoughts during this difficult year. The artwork that was created this year is meant to show a playful side of me, while trying to show stability in this chaotic world. Art is a healer of many things.
Horned Toad : Represents the beauty of the southwest region. The horned toad's longevity and appreciation of El Paso reptiles is what makes our region unique.
Mood Swing : A representation of moods and emotions during a person's lifetime. A person's life may be very chaotic at times and people are unaware because they cannot see their inner thoughts.
The Lone Camera Man : A representation of a person's love of photography, transforming themselves into their trade. The mutation of camera and man made possible with a vision and a stroke of a pen.
Melanie Montes
I am a Mexican American artist working mainly in oil painting. My artistic style is best described as magical realism.
My inspiration for this series is nature, fantasy, and genetic mutations caused by nuclear waste.
Melona and Child : A post-apocalyptic reference to Duccio.
Moth Man
Caught My Eye
Kristin Morales
I believe that communication is the key to every relationship from family, friendship, significant others, and even oneself. I aim to make my pieces a keystone component to join ideas, thoughts, and experiences with those around them. My pieces are meant to open the door to conversations once questions are posed. I aim to free communication in even the most distressing of topics by having tons of symbolism that may prompt questions and debates. Especially in my works which cover issues such heavy topics such as betrayal, religious hypocrisy, isolation, burden of gender, sexuality, the Hispanic culture, emotional health, and the unsettling feeling of compliance.
These pieces were based off my Hispanic culture especially since there's no escape from family and culture during the pandemic.
Dead Rhetoric : This piece was inspired by my upbring in the Catholic church and how I saw many people use “following traditions” as an excuse to treat others as lesser. Using my favorite passage, Revelation 10:9, to symbolize the aspect, the action or inaction of how people follow the religious portion of their life. Coupled with a casted medallion, similar to the size of a Eucharistic host, with the imagery of Saint Sabastian, the patron saint of homosexuals, because of his good looks and the way he was martyred he became revered as a gay icon throughout the world. I wanted to link the action of peoples and words of the bible so they could feel the weight of the religious rhetoric they spew. Especially, since in the KJV bible it states the to love one another thirteen times (for the thirteen maggots) yet it’s hard for some Catholics to believe what they say.
Pretty Hung : This piece is how I feel that my culture see women virginity's and marriage.
Dumpster Fire of a Year : This piece is my mental health for 2020. With highly stressful events that had me have a melt down, make me feel empty inside as well as if I had lost my head. $350
Samantha Ochoa
I am a woman artist born and raised int the borderland, my artistic style is more of a philosophy. With every project I am thoughtful of my concept and leave the rest to my hands and fate. By doing this I have found that if you trust yourself and your abilities a certain kind of magic happens, suddenly processes that you are unsure about add more life and character to your piece, or a section that you wish you ended up glazing actually matches other parts of your piece better. I have no set style because I love to explore new mediums and processes.
My inspiration is always things that make me happy or new things I want to try. Even a combination of both sometimes. I love plants and animals so those end up in my work often. I enjoy new styles and mediums so combining my love for plants and dogs into ceramics pieces was inevitable and turned into pieces that I am very proud of.
Herb Collector : This piece is a what I imagine I would use if I lived in the old hunter/gatherer times. I made this vessels imagining myself displaying beautiful herbs I have gathered
Dog Vessel : This piece is a tribute to dogs,mainly my own dog. He is a japanese akita mix and I adopted him from Animal Services in El Paso. The patterning on the side is inspired by japnese patterns and the front of the piece has a simplified version of the animal services logo to always remember the best thing to come into my life. Also, I learned recently that Akitas were companions for samurai, SAMurai, my name is sam he's my companion, crazy how life works sometimes.
Serena Ornelas
Serena Ornelas born and raised in El Paso ,Texas I don’t particularly have a favorite medium of choice because enjoy playing with all aspects of visual arts. I am however currently attending Utep for a degree in painting with the hopes of teaching at University level other aspirations include illustration and concept art .Story telling is my passion through a grander lens and I hope to explore every faucet I can, as well as teach and aid my community along the way .
Style and subject matter are always changing and always at odds with each other but I’ve currently found the most happiness in painting recurrent themes of my youth and further accentuating those things with bright colors . Post pandemic America has brought to light a more grimy reality than we initially realized and I want to focus my current paintings on more positive and cheery aspects of life . Namely my relationship with the natural world , all of her creatures and the somewhat dreamscape we all were lost in as children.
Broken summer : We see a stag beetle around brightly colored but broken tile with a string of broken beads placed around him. This piece was subtle jab at the expectation vs. reality scenarios we all seem to have. $4445
Mom's Shady Boy with Bell : This painting is a portrait of my pet cat who was really the only company I was able to keep in quarantine I’m endlessly fascinated by the relationships human share with the natural world . The companionships we have with our pets is a privilege I’m grateful for. Though most house cats won’t ever get a chance to run along tall grass like that I’ve painted here . I thought I’d let the fantasy get realized with this piece. $4445
idle-I : Idle-I is a small ode to all the times I wish I could just lay in grass and stare at bugs without feeling like I’m rotting away or wasting time . As children with nowhere to be its fine to idle around and appreciate nature in our own strange ways. As a adult nature feels like an afterthought in day to day life. $2225
Melissa Reyna
Atmospheric abstractions.
I hope to create a sense of space and feeling the audience can connect to when seeing my artwork.
Impetus : A force or energy with which a body moves.
Center
Whisk
Natalia Rodarte
Ever since I was 12 art has been an active part of my life. I have always enjoyed using colors and playing with different media. Although I am more inclined to realism, I am acquiring a certain liking to abstract art.
Nature and its components always make me enjoy my art. The colors and textures that it brings make me want to expand my tactical horizons even more.
Fall : The piece portrays the face of woman whose hair is completely made up of branches and leaves. The branches were given texture and a three-dimensional feel with the usage of crumbled paper and glue covered with a layer of acrylic paint. The sky and clouds were created using watercolor and the leaves using alcohol markers. $60
Bottle : The piece displays a still life depicting a variation of objects such as soda bottles and toys. Vibrant colors come through with the contrast the dark background provides. $50
Sesame Street : This piece is the abstract form derived from the word Sesame Street. I tried capturing the essence of its music and displaying it as art. $40
Crystal Rodriguez
I was born in Odessa, Texas in 1989 and grew up in El Paso, Texas. I draw inspiration from writing and communicating a story through figuration and nonverbal abstraction. The work is meant to speak for itself and give the viewers their own interpretation. I often communicate metaphor and symbolism also using color to emphasize my work.
I often juxtapose different images to bring new meaning and wish the viewer to interpret their own meaning and compare it to others and the artist’s intention. This is important to experience different perspectives in comparison.
Silence : This piece is meant to explore the possibilities and interpretations of objects and their relation to each other. This is meant to symbolize the delicate balance of relationships and behaviors and the ease that can cause that balance to unravel. $45
Resilient : “Don’t be silent.” This work aims to resist the urge to stay silent. Finding the courage and tools to snip the restraint to what is necessary in our hearts as indicated by the pink heartstrings. $45
Resist : No longer showing restraint and resisting the urge to stay silent. Silence slowly fades in the background and our heart becomes embolden to what we should not be silent about. $45
Vincent Romero
I LIKE TO DEAL WITH DIFFERENT MATERIALS, PUSH THE LIMITES OF THE MATERIAL AND CREATE A PIECE OF ARTWORK SHOWING THE COLOR, TEXTURE, STRENGTH AND CAPABILIES/POSSIBILITIES OF THE MATERIAL.
THE IMAGE MY WORK INVOKES IS THE IMAGE OF GOOD- NOT EVIL; THE IMAGE OF ORDER - NOT CHAOS; THE IMAGES OF LIFE - DEATH: BURY THE PAST - LOOK FORWARD FOR A BETTER FUTURE
HIPPIE CATERPILLAR : FLOWER POWER ON CATERPILLAR
AZTEC TEMPLE IN DISNEYLAND JAPAN : ANCIENT TEMPLE $250
SIGN LANGUAGE SYMBOL FOR LOVE
NEON LIGHTS : UNIVERSAL SYMBOL UNDERSTOOD BY MANY WITHOUT SAYIN A WORD $500
Jireh Valdez
Undergraduate artist whose style could be described as Techno-primitivism.
My inspirations range from German Expressionism, the writings of historic mystics, transcendence in the mundane, and media regarding post-humanism.
Kannon Dream Map : A large painting that combines early modernist styles with transhuman and Buddhist motifs. $1200
Silent Illumination : A rough, expressionist statement on the existentialism in the contemporary, post-industrial world. $800
Cocoon : A painting depicting the pain and beauty of rebirth through the symbology of a moth's life cycle. $300
Rigo Alberto Zamarron
art student at UTEP. Works in agriculture. Concentrating in the printmaking process for creating existential imagery.
Visual artist inspired by nature, ebb and flow of life, and the amorphous transition into adulthood.
Living on the edge : Life on the border between two sovergn nations can be chaoitc. $110
Ausencia #2 : Using the human figure to show absence. $100
Delight : Wealth gained from fossil fuels fuels our downfall. $110
