Letter to Margaret Garcia

Hi Margaret!!

First off I'd like to express how much I enjoy  your artwork--your paintings are so rich in color, emotion and human presence.


 I notice that in a majority of your portraits and pieces you chosen portray women. Is there a particular reason why? I am aware that the piece with the girl in laying down wearing a dress  is actually created after someone you know. Do all your other paintings depict real individuals? What moves you to create paintings and how do you feel about them?

I love how the emotion and presence of the mujeres and niñas--the way you give them life I see their strength, independence, confidence and freedom as sexual beings.  When I look at your paintings they give me a sense of not just nostalgia but also that of familiarity with respect to the women and girls in my own life.

My parents divorced when I was very young but I remember everything. Soon after my sisters and I became closer and my older sister began watching my younger sister and I a lot more frequently once my mother began going out with her friends more since she was single. Then when I was in middle school my older sister enrolled in the military and has been out of state and overseas for the past 9 years. Since her life in the military began, important family reunions and various holidays over the years have been tough due to her absence and the distance overall. I love my sister very much and this was also really difficult period of time for me growing up. I looked up to one of friends from school, she was a few years older than me but she has been there for me through all the times my sister has been away. I refer to her as my sister as well. On the other had the relationship I have with my mom has been pretty rocky even to this day. Even though we don't get along very much or as much I wish we could, I still look up to her---she has a great sense of humor, she can get down in the kitchen with all kinds of Mexican food, she is frugal, and she is great and improvising and creating things out of junk instead of just doing what is convenient like buying something brand new. Your art is very important to me because when you depict these women I am reminded of the great women and role models in my own life and how much they mean to me and how important they are in shaping me.

I looked you up on Facebook and I saw some of your recent projects that include a few mosaic pieces. From the pictures it looks like you worked in a group perhaps? The skull happens to be a favorite of mine; not only is it grand in its size, but the details are phenomenal. I noticed you used various pieces of tiles and clear marble stones. How long did this take you/and your friends to complete? Was it challenging at any point? What is you favorite aspect of it? The heart detail on the back of the mosaic skull, are the two figures created from plaster by you and who do they represent? The last picture on this post is of your studio (also derived from you Facebook page). I can already see that your love for color is not limited to just your art :) A colleague of mine presented you and some of your work in class and I recall her saying that your art "depicts culture through individuality". Has this always been your vision? How has it changed?

Sincerely,

Ü Celsa Monique Zárate

https://www.facebook.com/Margaret.Garcia.artist?fref=ts