I remember the moment I decided to become an artist. I was between the ages of seven and nine years old. My mother would receive letters from my grandfather once or twice a month from Cuba. As a kid, reading the letters wasn't the fun part, it was the drawings and paintings. What really amazed me was how he was able to show me what he could see around him in Cuba, how he could do it through the drawings he would make on tissue thin paper. I grew up in a city, surrounded by gray cement and stone. The world he drew was colorful, a place that was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. I asked him in a letter once to draw me what he saw outside his window... he did. He drew chickens, all proud, full of vibrant colors, pecking the ground outside a red chicken coop. I was dazzled, speechless, as if a spell was cast over me from a far away Caribbean island that I only knew through his drawings. This was the moment!!! I wanted to be able to create this feeling of being there, actually feeling as if you were standing right next to him looking out his window. I wanted to create a world I could share with others.
What an amazing gift my grandfather had and I thank him for the gift he gave to me, the gift of truly using your imagination.
PS. None of these images posted are of the "special" chickens I write about. I am still searching for that drawing. My younger sister was nice enough to scan many letters so I would be able to see if any of the work was of the chickens I remembered but none were.
Thank you Erika!
