Oaxaca series inspiration

Mexico has always held a special place in my heart. I grew up in Houston within driving distance of the border towns of Matamoros and Laredo and went there with my parents numerous times as a child.

I've also traveled to different parts of Mexico quite a bit as an adult, including a wonderful week in Oaxaca City 12 years ago for a salsa dancing retreat (dancing is another passion of mine!).

When I saw Seattle photographer Meghan Klein’s beautiful photos of Oaxaca on Instagram last year (see below), I was inspired to try to capture my memories of Mexico - all the vibrant colors, textures, sun, and warmth - in paint.

I wanted to explore abstracting the feel of old architecture combined with more modern/graphic elements. I was also intrigued by the contrasts between organic vs. structured and bold vs. delicate textures and marks found in Meghan’s images. These contrasts fit with my own memories of Mexico.

I started by coming up with a limited color palette. I was looking for lots of white, black, a warm wood color, the pale pinks and blues of tile, as well as the magenta of bougainvillea.

Once I settled on the palette, I started painting away! I began by playing in my sketchbook and on small pieces to find the colors and compositions that felt right. Then I moved on to creating many more pieces on paper, canvas, and board. From those, I chose 13 pieces for the final collection. As of August, 2025, all of these pieces except one have sold. You can view the one remaining piece in my online shop.

Market Day, 12” x 12” acrylic and mixed media on canvas