In 2006, I spent 5 weeks in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The visual aesthetic of this colonial city awakened new inspiration within me and my experiences influenced my work to take new exciting paths. San Miguel is one of the oldest, most picturesque cities in North America, steeped in Mexican history and alive with a vibrant arts community.
During this time I enjoyed a true renaissance in my work. Before coming to Mexico I always held a great desire to make my mark on paper but had neither formal training in drawing nor painting. During this creative immersion, I studied with printmaker Gerardo Ruiz and painter Nina Wisniewski both of whom encouraged me to open up in ways I had never before experienced. Their focus on the creative process exactly met my needs as I found myself exhilarated in this new playground of techniques.
Recently I received a Professional Development/Travel Grant from the Manitoba Arts Council which allowed me to return to San Miguel this time for two months of extensive study again with Ruiz and Wisniewski. This year, I literally exploded with inspiration over these 2 months producing a variety of work - steel and plexiglass etchings, monoprints and embossings, a series of charcoal drawings, multimedia collage/paintings and an art journal brimming with sketches and impressions of this extraordinary Mexican city. As well, I spent daily “photo crawls” tripping up and down the narrow cobblestone streets of San Miguel and returned with several hundred digital images which I have begun to translate into art quilts. I couldn't get enough of the saturated palette and colour combinations on the streets and in the markets, and the generosity and grace of the people, the 60-some art galleries, not to mention the frustrations of learning and practicing Spanish and the constant aerobic workout of climbing those hills in high altitude. It was a sensory feast.
My Mexican work in combination with a selection of quilts made from my hand-dyed fabrics, inspired by both north and south of the border. It has been a glorious journey and was a wonderful celebration. Some works are still available at Gallery Lacosse.
