Little tiny watercolor paintings of waves or landscapes are my daily favorites. It is a meditation each day that puts me in the right head space to teach middle school kids. I love creating big messy cardboard projects with them at work. Creating art with my students allows each of them to be successful in demonstrating their knowledge in a fun way. I wish you could hear the noisy excited buzz. When I am upset or frustrated I paint big huge sloppy acrylic paintings to let it all out on canvas.

I find inspiration observing the outdoors. I climb high peaks. I hike through the tiniest little canyons and broad expanse deserts. I crawl into the branches of trees and float way out past the breakers in the ocean. Nature inspires me intensely. Suns rises and sets, moon rises and sets, clouds that look like snakes, waves, and eagles. And then, there is my grandpa. His lifetime of examining color and painting naked people on wild waves inspires me the most. I feel all of my ancestors with me.

I would paint murals with my students and continue to promote their artistic desires! I would continue to provide art supplies for young people who don’t have access. I would turn my home into the art studio that I’ve longed for my whole life, featuring undiscovered local artists while providing a space for young beginning artists to sell from pop ups. My house is located in the Historic Arts District of Las Cruces, New Mexico. This is a perfect place for artists to be discovered.