I don’t believe my artistic nature is entirely a result of divine inspiration. Much of it came from my dad. I hold the belief that artistic talent can be hereditary—not necessarily in a genetic sense, but through social, cultural, and domestic influence. It’s a transfusion of interest. On my mom’s side, everyone is a musician—a keyboardist, a drummer, a violinist, a guitarist, and more. But my dad’s side tells a different story.
My dad embodies the typical Mexican-American: hardworking, with an engineer’s knack for problem-solving. There’s little he can’t build or create once he sets his mind to it, earning him the nickname “Super Mexican.” Among his talents—he can draw.
While my dad didn’t receive the art education that I did, he grew up with a love for drawing, fueled by an early fascination with Silver Age comic books. Many of those classic comics were passed down to me, inspiring my own work. It was a transfusion of interest. However, drawing side-by-side wasn’t something we ever really did until today. My dad is art-shy, so I rarely see his work.
Over the weekend, I received a wooden manikin from the Art Center. I had been planning to buy one for myself, debating whether to get Gestalta from Ikea or buy one from Amazon or Blick. But the universe had other plans and delivered a manikin faster than an Amazon package.
The manikin caught my dad’s attention as it sat on the counter. He suggested we have an “art fiesta,” a term my family uses whenever we gather for arts and crafts. Usually, these drawing events include my sister, nieces, nephews, and close friends.
With some newsprint and charcoal, we posed the manikin and used it as our reference. I made a series of gesture drawings, which you can see in my Sketchbook, while my dad created some comical scenes. Check them out!
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