If all people could speak what they feel, there would be no reason to paint. The way in which people express their feelings is what makes them unique, and sharing it to the world makes them brave.
On Sept. 12, the San Luis Library and AWC San Luis Center opened the 6th Annual Hispanic Heritage Art Exhibition, titled Mi Mexico Diverso, in the library facility. The show, which included various artists, was organized by Julie Floss and Megan Baird.
Besides paintings, there where clothes and purses by Mily Verdugo, who has participated in the Exhibition all six years. Her art, she says, consists mostly of “trash” –
clothes, purses and paper mache figures made from everyday objects.
“You create something different from pants people don’t like anymore, Cheetos they ate, etcetera,” Verdugo said while admiring her art.
According to her, many people who went to the exhibition and saw her art where amazed by the fact that they didn’t know that clothes and purses where art.
“Of course, it is,” Verdugo said. “Art doesn’t have limits.”
She explained that people don’t have to limit themselves to make art; they don’t need money, the greatest brushes or anything else. Just by creating something new, we are creating art.
Another artist from the Exhibition who calls herself simply Maria Luisa, paints from her heart, emotions and experience. The five paintings she showed at the exhibition stand out for the variety of bright colors and the symbols with specific meanings.
Each painting tells its own story. Aztecs, a painting of a girl with her heart out and Hummingbird, a painting of a girl with different symbols of growing are the two most memorable ones.
According to Maria Luisa, there’s a study saying that when you break your heart, it takes a year to heal it, just like a physical injury. Aztecs are known for their human sacrifices, she points out. So, before anybody else does, rip your heart for yourself first. People must remember that they come first.
“You heart is very important; you must guard it above all,” she explained about Aztec. “That's why she’s crying, it was a sweet learning through a lot of heartbreak, but now she learned the biggest heartbreak was herself, and she learned how to do it.”
All her paintings were related to one another in some way. Hummingbird, consists of various symbols of growing, changing and overcoming situations. Maria Luisa’s grandma used to tell her that every time someone feels sad and sees a hummingbird, it’s because God or somebody special to you who has passed away was thinking about you.
“Each person carries a symbol that helps you overcome that loss, and the hummingbird was mine,” Maria Luisa said tearfully.
But, for every loss, we can evolve and become two completely different people – one before and one after the loss.
Artists put their heart into beautiful pieces and show us the world, experiences and feelings from another point of view. Art has no rules; and, as Henri Matisse said, creativity takes courage.
