2025 was a lot for me.
I went through a divorce, was laid off during the U.S. government shutdown, and the state of the world felt darker.
As I step into 2026, I’m finding my way back to my art in a more grounded way—not to fix anything, but because making art helps me stay present and oriented. I’m deepening my practice and leaning into creative community so I can keep learning, stay connected, and not do this alone.
I’m sharing the process here. If this resonates, I’d love for you to join me.
#art #creativity #community #startingover #divorce
Tulum, Inhaled
by @alt.x.creates__
Turquoise waves shimmer,
cenotes hum ancient songs—
jaguars still dream here.
But cranes now rise tall,
glass palaces in the palms
where elders once prayed.
I walk in both worlds—
daughter of diaspora,
strip-mined and adorned.
They sell paradise
in glossy ads, while the roots
wince beneath the gloss.
I see it clearer:
the empire wears woven threads
and speaks in yoga.
Here, Mayan soil aches
beneath barefoot influencers
claiming “sacred space.”
And still, I inhale—
not to belong, but to learn
what endures, unseen.
#tulumartwalk #artwalk #tulum #siankaan #cenotes #mexico #mexico #imperialism #capitalism #mayanruins #mayanculture #dogsoftulum #dogsofmexico🇲🇽
Introducing one of our Mind Your Art Business members, @altx.creates 🎨❤️
#workshopartists #dmvcreatives #dmvartscene #dcartscene #dmvartistfeature #dcnonprofit
I love Kim Jung Wuk’s work. Seeing it in person is so much better. These pieces were in a show with work from five other Korean artists, called Transcending Boundaries at the Korean Cultural Center in DC. The purpose of the show was to explore “relationships between materiality, reality, emotion, and perception.” #art #hologram #artshow #koreanartist #korean
This week’s painting class taught me how to mix the medium you use for oil painting. You do this to thin out your paint and add some shine. You could also use medium to make your paint thicker. It really depends on what you’re going for. Here’s my first still life after mixing my medium. #oilpainting #painting #oilpaint #art #artclass @lindsaymuellerart@washingtonstudioschool@wssartisticdirector
What a wonderful way to end our collage class with @mariebgauthiez for Winter Term at the @washingtonstudioschool . My goal was to build my visual vocabulary and try new techniques to try out in my other collages. #art #artschool #artists #collage #mixedmediaart @mveronicalf@naomikarpdc
Saw @tawnychatmon ’s exhibition Sanctuaries of Truth, Dissolution of Lies at the National Museum of Women in the Arts and I honestly can’t stop thinking about it.
Chatmon works across photography, collage, textiles, stitching, and gold embellishment to build layered portraits that feel both contemporary and rooted in art history. You can see echoes of Byzantine mosaics, Klimt’s gilded portraiture, and Dutch painting—but the work centers Black children, family, and everyday cultural symbols.
One part of the show that really stood out to me was “The Restoration.” Chatmon finds racist dolls and figurines still circulating in antique stores and online marketplaces and restores them. She repaints the faces, removes exaggerated features that were used to caricature Black identity, and reclothes them in garments sewn by her mother. In her photographs, Black children hold these restored objects. Something that once symbolized mockery becomes something closer to an heirloom—handled with dignity and care.
Another series, “The Reconciliation,” looks at foods like watermelon and collard greens—ingredients that have nourished Black families for generations but were also turned into racist stereotypes. Through portraiture, Chatmon reframes them as symbols of nourishment, heritage, and family tradition.
As a mixed media artist—and as the daughter of immigrants, a Latina who also thinks a lot about identity, history, and representation in my own work—I really connect with how Chatmon uses layering, materials, and symbolism to reclaim and reshape these narratives.
Thoughtful, powerful work. #mixedmedia #portraits #photography #art #collage
Collage concept: I’m making a few of these and/or digitizing them into a pattern to use behind my Deportation Series.
Last week I felt compelled to start work that looks at the inhumane way people are being kidnapped, arrested, and k¡lled by ICE.
To me, wildflowers represent resilience and hope. I want every piece to carry that—even when it’s documenting something heartbreaking. Together, we can melt ICE. #deportation #art #healing #collage #wildflowers
