Rustic Chicana: The Birth of Rustic Chicana

Rustic Chicana was born of the 2020 global pandemic. A time when resources and financial secruity were uncertain. Going from in-person shopping for art supplies, food, basic necessities to having everything delivered to your door left me wondering what to do with the build up of packing materials. The days of bringing home discarded cardboard sheets from my job at an art handling company for use in making protest signs were behind me. After 50+ years of taking to the streets in protest, I retired. So, what was there to do with the stacks of cardboard boxes and packing materials piling up in my yard and home? The only logical solution for recycling was to make art. Never one for being able to afford top quality art supplies I've always had to resort to making do with found objects, thrift store finds and discounted products so the decision to take on the Rustic Chicana moniker was both a play on living la vida pobre and a take at the commercialized and overhyped rustic chic style. Having distressed everything has been a way of life for me so why not make the best of it. Here is a sampling of the Rustic Chicana pieces brought to life utilizing cardboard and packing materials from online purchases: