Spring In Los Angeles 5

This collection of prints celebrates the beauty of roses. For most of my life I had not been a fan of roses due to the fact that there’s a rosebush right outside my childhood home in my neighbor's yard. That rose bush always pricks me when I park next to it. But recently, while I was in Los Angeles, my friend taught me how to prune roses, how to care for them and make beautiful bouquets. She cared for a number of rose bushes that she had inherited from her grandmother. She was a third generation rose knowledge keeper! After being around her, she immediately passed on her love for roses to me. During that time, I became a rose caretaker and I started making my own bouquets and connecting with this majestic flower. The colors alone were a huge source of inspiration! When I returned to my home in Oakland, I started growing my own roses in outdoor pots. Now I adore them! I love how big and stunning they get. These print collages celebrate this new journey that I’ve embarked on. As I was drawing the roses for the linoleum block print, I was reminded how much I would see roses in Xicanx (Chicanx) gang culture when I was growing up in the Fruitvale - roses on tattoos, roses in hand drawn letters from prison, and roses on the clothing of the cholas. I wanted to capture some of that street energy and essence in these prints as well - a blend of my love for gardening and urban upbringing.