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How did you find out about Oxbow? And why did you want to come here?
In my freshman year, Jordan Felling came to promote Oxbow to my school. When I saw videos, I really got inspired to apply. I decided to come because I wanted to expand my artistic abilities as well as become more independent and meet new people.
You are more than half way through the semester already. How has it been adjusting to life away from home, and a totally new school environment?
It’s surprising to realize that I’m almost done with this amazing journey. It has been that, an amazing and beautiful journey. Since day one, I’ve loved my new home, but in the first days it was really difficult to be away from home. However, as I got comfortable with my roommates and all the students, I began to feel a sense of family with everyone and my experience became a lot better.
What aspect of the Oxbow experience has been the most impactful for you?
The most impactful project for me was writing my personal memoir book for English class. I remember writing at around 1:00am while everyone else was asleep. When I began to write about my mom I got a little emotional and it reminded me of all the reasons why I was here, which gave me an extra push to stay up even longer and finish the entire book.
Do you have a favorite Oxbow meal?
Oxbow for me has been a place of discovery. An example is the variety of new foods that I've tasted. At Oxbow I discovered that I do not hate all salads, and I finally found a salad that I like--Caesar salad. However, even though I find the Caesar salad delicious, there is no better meal at Oxbow than when there is Mexican food.
What kind of music do you listen to when you're making art?
When I make art I love being the only one in the studio because I can play my own music loud on the speakers. My favorite music to listen to when I make art is rock in Spanish, salsa, cumbia (which almost nobody in this school even knows about) and sometimes hip-hop.
My Narrative project painting made me discover many things about myself. Before this painting I felt really uncomfortable using paint. I personally did not like painting before this project. However, when I decided to paint the Mexican flag and a reflection of myself, I got really into it and I began to have a personal relationship with the paint. I got so attached to it that I did not even want to leave the painting studio. I was in there every single minute of open studios and I was even late to lunch because I wouldn’t notice the time. This painting made me realize that I can enjoy painting and that it is really interesting for me to make art related to Mexico. Even though I was not born in Mexico, I feel 100% Mexican. I feel good learning about the culture and even better making art about it.
