Meet Agnes (from Wonderland)

I ran into a neat challenge this morning called March Meet the Maker created by Joanne Hawker (you can find more information here) and decided this would be a great time to let you in “behind the scenes!” It’s a challenge for March with really fun prompts I think we’ll all enjoy! Today’s prompt is “YOU” meaning me!

10 Fast Facts:

1. I was born in Texas but have lived in Denver for more than half my life now
2. My favorite way to create is watercolor and ink
3. I’ve recently started collecting succulents and I’m obsessed!
4. I have a Bachelor’s in Graphic/Web Design
5. My favorite crystal is probably Smoky Quartz from Colorado
6. I have 2 dogs, 4 cats, a hedgehog and a turtle
7. I got married in LAS VEGAS! WHOO
8. Neil Gaiman is my favorite author
9. I love drag and appreciate queens as creatives!
10. My middle name is Aramis

Feel free to comment any number of facts about yourself, but feel free to read more about me 🙂

My name is Agnes and I was born in Texas to immigrant parents from Mexico. My first language was Spanish and sometimes I feel like I still don’t really understand the English language haha (they do say it’s tough to learn, right?) I was born in June and was the second of 6 kids. As a child I loved starting collections, like erasers I would pull off pencils, the smoother the better — usually they didn’t work well as erasers anyway — or really smooth pebbles, I always had rocks in my pockets! I also discovered my love for history, my love for art, and my love for animals as a child. I love learning about anything and everything.

Between grade school and middle school we traveled a lot, I went to so many different schools which made it very difficult to make and have friends. This was probably one of the most difficult times in my life. My parents separated, life was very unstable, and I was dealing with the shame and hurt of being sexually abused.

When I eventually told my mom she suggested I write it all out and let it go. It was extremely cathartic to get it all out and it became extremely useful to me to keep a diary as I entered high school. We had finally landed in Denver before entering high school and I was looking forward to hopefully staying in one place for a while (and we did!) I made many awesome friends and one very good friend that I still talk to. High school was also the time when ART really became a part of me. I had an amazing art teacher that first year who believed in me and encouraged me tremendously. He helped me come to the realization that if I wasn’t creating on a regular basis, I just wasn’t myself.

I had hoped to get a full ride scholarship to an art school but that didn’t happen. I experienced various forms of rejection (and I guess I still do) but no one can keep me from creating, it’s such a special thing to me and I love that I can share it! Because I love learning, I’m always looking for new things to try. My favorite way to create is to pick up a brush and use watercolor, but I love collage, acrylic paints, digital artwork (I have a Bachelors in Graphic/Web Design!) sculpting with clay, sewing, crochet, metalsmithing, electroforming… the list goes on!

As far as where the crystals come in, I think I’m still that kid with rocks in her pocket. It started as a personal collection that also turned into something I wanted to share. (Sharing is caring!) By offering crystals, it offers me the opportunity to be creative. I get to use my skills I learned in school (gotta make things pretty!) Some of the fun comes from trying to show off the beauty of pieces like this one or this one — photographing them isn’t always easy!

I’m really happy you’re here, this is my journey and I hope we get to know each other as we walk this path.