ABSTRACT mixed media & EmbroiderY ART
Below you’ll find my Abstract Mixed Media & Embroidery Art projects.
I make abstract mixed media & embroidery art that explores autobiographical and historical themes, and I create projects that are inspired by nature, the cosmos, and Puerto Rican culture. Some pieces are stand-alone, while others are part of a collection. My work combines elements of collage, photography, painting/drawing, printmaking, and embroidery.
Some of these works may feature poetry or text fragments to add an additional layer of meaning.
My series The Quiet Puerto Rican earned an honorable mention in the 2024 Student Salon at the Art Students League.
All works are available for your collection. All pieces are one-of-a-kind. Open for commissions as well. Please inquire with an email here. I would love to hear from you!
Skills:
Mixed Media Art / Abstract Art / Embroidery / Digital Photography / Writing
Days go by Series (In Progress)
Ephemeral moments: those fleeting events that pass by too soon, not often treasured as they should be. One event being the blooming and falling of cherry blossoms. Revered for their short and beautiful life, a mirror to our own lives, I wanted to make a series inspired by ephemeral moments. The first moment being the blooming and falling of cherry blossoms.
Using black and white photography, dried cherry blossoms, and fabric with Japanese patterns, I have created my own version of falling cherry blossoms amid the quiet poetic movements of Butoh. I first heard of Butoh when it was featured in the tender and moving German independent film Cherry Blossoms. Butoh is a form of Japanese dance/theater performance. During a Butoh performance, the dancer’s faces and bodies are painted white, while they move with slow hyper-controlled motion. The black and white photographs used in this series are my nod to Butoh, collaging them across the canvas to simulate the dancers moving among the cherry blossoms as they fall.
Additional ephemeral moments that have inspired and will appear in this series are: sunlight filtering through the clouds, solar/lunar eclipse, dandelion seeds flowing in the wind, meteor showers, northern lights, dappled light along a forest path, etc.
Butoh - 1 of 6 (Digital Self-portrait Photography, Cotton Fabric, Black Paint, Dried Cherry Blossoms) 9in x 12in on Canvas Panel.
A Fleeting Breeze - 2 of 6 (Cotton Fabric, Painted Paper, Painted Canvas, Cotton Embroidery Thread) 16in x 20in on Stretched Canvas Panel.
5cm Per Second - 3 of 6 (Digital Self-portrait Photography, Cotton Fabric, Black Paint, Dried Cherry Blossoms) 9in x 12in on Canvas Panel.
Moving Through - 4 of 6 (Digital Self-portrait Photography, Cotton Fabric, Black Paint, Dried Cherry Blossoms) 11in x 14in on Canvas Panel.
Looking Toward Mt. Fuji - 5 of 6 (Digital Self-portrait Photography, Cotton Fabric, Black Paint, Dried Cherry Blossoms) 8in x 10in on Canvas Panel.
One Last Dance - 6 of 6 (Digital Self-portrait Photography, Cotton Fabric, Black Paint, Dried Cherry Blossoms) 8in x 10in on Canvas Panel.
Blot the Sun from My Eyes - A Journey Through the Sky (Watercolor Pencil, Cotton and Silk Embroidery Thread) 11in x 14in on Stretched Canvas Panel. This piece explores a solar eclipse as it moves across the sky.
Blot the Sun from My Eyes - A Journey Through the Sky - Detail Image 1
Blot the Sun from My Eyes - A Journey Through the Sky - Detail Image 2
Filtered Light - (Oil Pastel, Watercolor Pencil, Japanese Paper - Cropped) 11in x 14in on Stretched Canvas Panel. This piece is inspired by sunlight filtering through the clouds on a summer's day.
Filtered Light - Detail Image 1
Filtered Light - Detail Image 2
Breathing in the Sparkling Particles of Galaxies, Nebulas, and Supernovas series
This series explores the wondrous colors, textures, and shapes of the cosmos, nebulas, and galaxies in outer space. I found inspiration in the plumes of stardust, clusters of stars, star trails, spiral galaxies, and the brilliant gradations of colors found throughout our galaxy, as well as those beyond our solar system. Some of these pieces are based on actual galaxies while others are my own interpretations. I am using both needle felting and embroidery to capture the movement and form of these celestial bodies, while making them my own by interpreting the textures and colors through stitch and needle felted backgrounds. The needle felting represents the gaseous environment of these forms, and the embroidery represents the millions of stars that are within these forms.
Exploring the Galaxy - (Wool Roving, Cotton and Silk Embroidery Thread) 16in x 20in Framed.
Exploring the Galaxy - Detail Image 1
Exploring the Galaxy - Detail Image 2
Into the Whirl of the Poseidon Nebula - (Wool Roving, Cotton and Silk Embroidery Thread) 12in x 18in Framed.
Into the Whirl of the Poseidon Nebula - Detail Image 1
Into the Whirl of the Poseidon Nebula - Detail Image 2
Crimson Garnet Helix - (Wool Roving, Cotton and Silk Embroidery Thread) 12in x 18in Framed.
Crimson Garnet Helix - Detail Image 1
Crimson Garnet Helix - Detail Image 2
God's Eye - (Wool Roving, Cotton and Silk Embroidery Thread) 12in x 18in Framed.
God's Eye - Detail Image 1
God's Eye - Detail Image 2
Sight of the Felis - (Wool Roving, Cotton and Silk Embroidery Thread) 12in x 18in Framed.
Sight of the Felis - Detail Image 1
Sight of the Felis - Detail Image 2
A Glimpse of a Lepidoptera's Soul - (Wool Roving, Cotton and Silk Embroidery Thread) 12in x 18in Framed.
A Glimpse of a Lepidoptera's Soul David Arroyo - Detail Image 1
A Glimpse of a Lepidoptera's Soul David Arroyo - Detail Image 2
Neptune Mercury Waltz - (Wool Roving, Cotton and Silk Embroidery Thread) 12in x 18in Framed.
Neptune Mercury Waltz - Detail Image 1
Neptune Mercury Waltz - Detail Image 2
Pillars of Creation - (Wool Roving, Cotton and Silk Embroidery Thread) 12in x 18in Framed.
Pillars of Creation - Detail Image 1
Pillars of Creation - Detail Image 2
The quiet puerto rican series
This series earned an honorable mention in the 2024 Student Salon at the Art Students League.
This series is about how growing up during my teens and into early adulthood, I was constantly told by others, especially other Puerto Ricans that I met outside of my neighborhood, that I was not Puerto Rican. They wouldn't believe me when I said I was. No matter my features, or my last name, or where I grew up, all they could see was my skin tone. So in this series, I am bringing the inside (the Taino blood running through my veins) out.
This series inspired by the abstract expressionists use of collage, especially Lee Krasner, who was known to cut up old works including self-portraits and use them for collages. I collaged self-portrait photos from an older project to show how each time someone denied me my race, it left me cut up inside. The embroidery was directly inspired by the Taller Boricua, which was founded during the Nuyorican Art Movement. Many artists from that workshop wanted to bring back a sense of ancestral pride within Nuyorican artists, and they used Taíno symbols within their works. The embroidery designs used in this series are taken directly from Taíno pottery and petroglyphs found throughout Puerto Rico. This series was made using a mixed media approach because using one medium was not enough to tackle the varied emotions that inspired this series.
The Quiet Puerto Rican Series - 1 of 3 (Digital Self-portrait Photography, Cotton and Silk Embroidery Thread, Handmade Paper) 11in x 14in on Canvas Panel.
The Quiet Puerto Rican Series - 2 of 3 (Digital Self-portrait Photography, Cotton and Silk Embroidery Thread, Handmade Paper) 11in x 14in on Canvas Panel.
The Quiet Puerto Rican Series - 3 of 3 (Digital Self-portrait Photography, Cotton and Silk Embroidery Thread, Handmade Paper) 11in x 14in on Canvas Panel.
Stand-Alone pieces
Scroll of the Simurgh - (Black Ink, Wool Roving, Cotton and Silk Embroidery Thread) (Cropped) 10in x 30in Hanging Scroll. This stand-alone piece was inspired by the video game Prince of Persia and the legend of the Simurgh, an Ancient Persian mythical bird. The Simurgh featured in the game was wonderfully designed and it inspired me to create my own version of it.
Scroll of the Simurgh - Detail Image 1
Scroll of the Simurgh - Detail Image 2
The Sea Under Your Skin - (Handmade and Patterned Papers) 16in x 20in on Canvas Panel. This piece is inspired by the textures and color of the sea and sky.
The Hunter Returns - (Watercolor, Acrylic Paint, Black Ink, Watercolor Crayon) 16in x 20in on Stretched Canvas Panel. This piece is an homage to a work from Japanese-American Abstract Expressionist Painter Matsumi Kanemitsu, titled The Hunter from 1960.
Kazuhiko - (Black Ink, Pan Pastel, Handmade Papers, Watercolor Crayon) 11in x 14in on Canvas Panel. This piece was inspired by the manga Clover, and it's main character Kazuhiko.
The Stardust Flowing Inside My Veins (Acrylic Paint Marker, Cotton and Silk Embroidery Thread) 20in x 26in Cotton Fabric Framed. This is a stand-alone piece inspired by comets, meteors, and meteor showers.
The Stardust Flowing Inside My Veins - Detail Image 1
The Stardust Flowing Inside My Veins - Detail Image 2
The Wave - (Oil Pastel, Cotton and Silk Embroidery Thread) 11in x 14in on Stretched Canvas Panel. This stand-alone piece is my interpretation and homage to Hokusai's The Wave.
Breathing Underwater - (Watercolor, Watercolor Crayon, Cotton and Silk Embroidery Thread) 16in x 20in on Stretched Canvas Panel. This stand-alone piece is an exploration of underwater plant life.
Into the Sea of Memory - (Watercolor Crayon, Cotton and Silk Embroidery Thread, Soft Pastel) 9in x 12in Mounted on Paper and Framed. This piece is about looking into our memories and looking for those shining jewels that help get us through tough times, even when we are close to giving up. There are cherished memories that help to keep us afloat and keep our fire of life alight, especially when the embers are close to going out.