This week I shared my most recent painting with my art coach Connie Solera.

Her response to me was, “I love what you got going on here too. I’m so curious to who those figures are. What they mean to you. What story they press on your heart.”

Sometimes the women that show up in my paintings feel as if they are calling to me to bring them out of the ethers.

I can smear paint around and see them, hear them, sharing their pain, joy, and confusion, or is it mine? Such times we live in.

I started out journaling my quarantine experience in a beautiful handmade journal that I bought on my most recent trip to Oaxaca. It called for paint more than words. Color and line seems to better express emotion than dialogue these days. There just are no words.

I have filled the entire journal which makes me long to return to Oaxaca. Using up what we have is a wonderful lesson from staying home. I have dragged out my watercolor pencils, pastels, markers, oil crayons, acrylics, lord I have a lot of art supplies.

I share most of my art on Instagram at dos_tortas if you want to take a look. Also photography is a new creative pursuit that I enjoy. There’s no telling how long before we can safely travel again. For now I will continue to smear paint and see who or what shows up. What is your creative activity? It’s what will get us through.
DOS TORTAS

I completely share in carrying that overwhelming load of sadness with you Alex. I literally lay in bed at night envisioning myself walking through the streets of Oaxaca I miss her so bad.
These pieces move me. But how you describe your process — the mystic in you understands paint. I love it Alex. Love you too.
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Dear Connie, I feel like I belong to a sisterhood with you and your lovely women.
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I love that you’re painting. I would like to learn to draw, but I really need some help with it. I guess my “art“ right now is writing. I still meet weekly with my writing, outside, well spaced. That should work through November perhaps. Or if the weather is really nice maybe into December.
Mosquitoes chased us away from our meeting last week but we have found a new spot that seems to be mosquito free.
I’ll keep writing, you keep painting!
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I am not very good at drawing, but I like it so I keep doing it. I’ve learned to let go of judgement about my ability. In the post, I mentioned Connie Solera. Check her out. She’s given me so much confidence.
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