As an instructor at Gallery 37 I encountered many extremely talented students. This particular student was not in my printmaking program, but in the Advanced Painting program down the hall. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to commission a painting from her early on in her career. This is a photo I took while visiting my former in-laws in Mexico City with my children. My ex-husband would always reminisce about getting out of school and walking to his abulita’s house. The blue cross in the foreground is at the top of a shrine for the Virgin Mary, built by his tio. Years ago, when I gave him this gift (it was a surprise), it brought tears to his eyes. He hadn’t been home in years and said when he looks at this painting it brings him right back as if he’s there.

If there was anyone who could handle such a challenging, highly detailed composition, it was her. So here it is. Of course digital representation does not do it justice, but this will have to do.

Potato pancakes, no apple sauce, no sour cream. That’s what Mr. Gruen (in his late 70’s) ordered every time he and his girlfriend (early 90’s) visited the Original Pancake House in the Gold Coast, where I worked as a server through my collage years. One of the most intriguing couples I have ever met. Mr. Gruen, so in love with his girlfriend of 20 years, June, was a metal smith from Berlin. He made his way to the US during WWII and purchased Gruen Galleries in River North in the early 70’s. The Gruen’s became friends over the years and allowed me to visit his gallery/studio to learn more about his story, his work, and to take pictures. The first image is of the project that resulted from my visit with Mr. Gruen. The second is of an iron gate that Gruen created while studying in Berlin.

We were fresh out of school and looking to put our skills, interests, and knowledge to work. 2 Arroyos Press was mostly a t-shirt printing studio for men, women, and children. Claudia and I come from different backgrounds, but are both Spanish Speaking and looking for ways to incorporate that. We had all sorts of adventures, road trips, art fairs, small business 101, taxes, building a website before free templates, figuring things out as we went along…that’s what 20 somethings do right? 2 Arroyos Press existed for 2 beautiful años. Love you Claudia! I continued on in the screen-printing world as La Linea Press and now as Thinker’s Press. 

We were fresh out of school and looking to put our skills, interests, and knowledge to work. 2 Arroyos Press was mostly a t-shirt printing studio for men, women, and children. Claudia and I come from different backgrounds, but are both Spanish Speaking and looking for ways to incorporate that. We had all sorts of adventures, road trips, art fairs, small business 101, taxes, building a website before free templates, figuring things out as we went along…that’s what 20 somethings do right? 2 Arroyos Press existed for 2 beautiful años. Love you Claudia! I continued on in the screen-printing world as La Linea Press and now as Thinker’s Press.