2025

Tender as Water

This work is an extension of the Forgiveness Project, which began in 2019. Grounded in social practice that transforms conversations with people who discuss their experiences with transgression, trust, and forgiveness, these candid, deeply human exchanges became the foundation for a body of work translating each story’s emotional resonance into visual form.
The pieces in this exhibit are rooted in the courageous and humbling moments shared by participants, reflecting the complexity of loving others as well as ourselves, despite imperfection. Inspired by Mexico’s native plants, animals, and religious symbolism, I transformed these into symbols for tenderness, resilience, and renewal. Visits to sacred spaces, especially the Capuchin Convent Chapel, drew my attention to confessional booths, environments that mirrored the intimacy and vulnerability of the interviews. For some of my interviewees, faith and family traditions shaped their understanding of forgiveness.
The visual reflections of these interviews take the form of cut designs on Yupo paper. I incorporated rose patterns, symbolic of the venerated Mary seen in confessional screens, alongside snakeskin, feathers, and prickly pears, symbols of rebirth, freedom, and resilience. Yupo’s adaptability and luminous surface felt ideal for a project centered on openness and reflection. The installation creates an immersive, sacred atmosphere, enhanced by candlelight and sound elements that echo Catholic architecture, offering a space for contemplation and emotional safety.
At the center of the room, a water-inspired work embodies a central truth: the quiet strength in accepting what we cannot change and moving forward, like water finding its course. This current is not surrender but a refusal to remain bound by pain, choosing instead motion, clarity, and release. The surrounding pieces consider the grace of confession and the complicated experience of being hurt by those we love.
I am deeply grateful to the artists who took part. Their openness and honesty have shaped me into a better listener, a stronger artist, and, I hope, a more compassionate human being.

“Amends”, 6” x 6”, Mixed Media on Yupo

“Confess”, 14” x 11”, Mixed Media on Yupo

“Duality”, 12” round, Mixed Media on Watercolor paper

"Protection", 18" x 12", Mixed Media

“Cut Fruit” quadriptych, each 14” x 11” Mixed Media on Yupo

“Pray Out Loud”, 14” x 11”, Acrylic Gouache on Yupo

“Faith”, 14” x 11”, Acrylic Gouache on Yupo

“Bless Me”, 14” x 11”, Mixed Media

“Tender”, 14” x 11”, Mixed Media

Gallery Shots, Casa LU, Mexico City

Gallery Shot, The Contemporary at Blue Star, San Antonio Texas

"Verbatim I", Smoke on Paper, 12" round

"Verbatim II", Smoke on Paper, 12" round

"Verbatim III", Smoke on Paper, 12" round, SOLD

The Armada

Installation view, Russell Hill Rogers Gallery, San Antonio, TX

My connection to decoy ducks, coral snakes, and the purple heart plant is rooted in the complexities of my childhood, a time marked by tension and fragility. These symbols have long served as stand-ins for trust and vulnerability in my work. In this new series, however, those ideas take on a more urgent, even violent, tone.

As I reflect on moments of courage, whether personal, communal, or global, I keep returning to the concept of unwavering resolve. This body of work imagines a battle waged on water: unstable ground, shifting currents, and unseen threats. Yet even when surrounded by doubt, the figures in these pieces hold fast. They do not lose faith. They push forward, unified in purpose and defiance.