1 of 89

|

This is a painting I did of La Llorona. She is the Hispanic version of the Boogy Man. There are many versions of La Llorona (which in Spanish means, "The Wailing Woman") but I will tell you the story I responded to as an artist and that I based this painting on.

During the colonial period when Mexico owned New Mexico in the 19th century there was a very strict caste system set up by the Spanish that settled there. There was a native woman named Maria who was very beautiful and very poor. She turned all of the men's heads in the village especially Pedro, the 16-year-old son of the wealthiest Spanish family who were patrons of the village. When his mother Dona Ana found out her son was in love with the Indian girl, she put her foot down and forbid him to see her. Of course, Pedro could not resist Maria's beauty and snuck out to be with her. Soon, two children resulted out of wedlock.

Because of the children's illegitimacy Maria was a pariah in the village. Pedro kept...

Through my work I always hope to tell a story about my personal experiences as a Hispanic woman. I was born and raised in the beautiful state of New Mexico and my family has been in northern New Mexico for over 10 generations. My work comes from my memories of growing up in a large extended family and my favorite subjects to paint are the people and traditions of northern New Mexico. I have always loved art and have wanted to become an artist for as long as I can remember. My primary medium is acrylic on canvas. I have also enjoyed using acrylic on wood as well. As a self-taught artist, I really fight looking at something when I'm painting or sketching. I love just allowing my work to evolve organically. My preliminary sketches are...