The largest wildfire in New Mexico's history, the Calf Canyon / Hermit's Peak Fire, raged just outside of the town where I live. As of June 17th, 2022, it burned over 340,000 acres.

In late May of 2022, as the fire was threatening the town, there were a few days when it felt like the world was ending. The sky was choked with smoke, the sun was a hazy red ball, and there was a sense of lawlessness in town. Thankfully town was NOT burned, although a lot of land around it was, and many locals lost their legacy ranchitos. 

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Perhaps the best thing that came from the fire was seeing how this community of Latinos, Hispanics, Indigenous Peoples, Anglos, and more pulled together to help one another through this disaster. The ramifications will be felt for years to come, but in the middle of the crisis, people helped each other, and that's what inspired this painting.

The rope symbolizes the Latino ranching culture, the blanket and turquoise necklace symbolize the Indigenous Peoples, the roses symbolize many cultures, the white bust represents Anglos, and the blue background represents nature and the New Mexican skies. I believe that together we can make something special.

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Selected for exhibition in the "Trans-for-ma-tion / Creative Responses to the 2022 Hermit's Peak / Calf Canyon Fires" exhibit at NMHU's Burris Hall in the Spring of 2023.

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Accepted into the intimate online exhibition "Everything's Coming Up Roses" by Pretty Girls Making Cool Shit. The Virtual Gallery available August 1, 2023 - September 30, 2023:

 https://www.prettygirlsmakingcoolshit.com/virtual-exhibition