I've always been interested in the space between things.

Between Mexico and the United States. Between tradition and rebellion. Between masculinity and femininity. Between who we're expected to be and who we become when nobody's telling us who that should be.

For a long time, I didn't feel like I fit neatly into any one world. I grew up with a Mexican family but looked white enough that people often assumed I wasn't. I spent years disconnected from that part of myself before moving to Mexico, where I've been slowly rediscovering a culture that has always been mine. That experience continues to shape everything I make.

My Nana was one of my first teachers. She quilted with whatever she had, turning scraps of fabric into something beautiful and lasting. Looking back, I realize she wasn't just making blankets. She was preserving family history, migration, and identity, one piece at a time. I think about her every time I paint.

The layered blocks of color in my work began as a tribute to those quilts, but they've grown into something more. They're memories, songs, neighborhoods, pixels, and generations. Individually they tell small stories. Together they become something larger.

Music has always been just as important to me as painting. Punk rock taught me that culture isn't something you simply inherit. It's something you question, reshape, and make your own. That spirit runs through everything I do. Mariachis become outlaws. Charros become punks. Axolotls wear glasses. Drag queens become royalty. Humor and irreverence aren't there to make fun of tradition. They're my way of participating in it.

A lot of my work is autobiographical, even when it doesn't look like it. The animals, the musicians, the punk girls, and the portraits all carry pieces of my own story. They're about family, friendship, grief, resilience, queer identity, and the lifelong search for belonging. They're less interested in documenting my life than in capturing what those experiences left behind.

I don't paint because I have all the answers. I paint because it's how I ask the questions.

Every piece is an attempt to understand where I come from, who I am, and how culture continues to grow through the people willing to carry it forward.

My husband Sugarbaker and I own and operate a queer cruise company in Puerto Vallarta called Tamale's Tours. We create a space to feel free, meet new people, and explore nature’s boundless beauty. With beach, snorkeling, and down-time, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to play together, or dip out and chill.

Cruise the seas, lounge in the yacht's many open spaces, and mingle till you tingle. You’ll enjoy chef-prepared meals and a premium bar on this all inclusive cruise. And we’re sure you’ll appreciate the staff as much as the comfortable and spacious amenities. From start to finish, and top to bottom, you'll feel the Tamale difference. On Tamale’s Tours, you’ll leave with new memories, and maybe a new community of friends.

We want to ensure the local community thrives just as much as the community on our tours. Your booking helps sustain PV’s vibrance, as Tamale’s Tours donates 5% of revenues to local charities supporting queer youth.

Please join us for a spectacular day on the Pacific .... and don't forget your kaftan!