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“Black and White Series: Greta” is where everything unnecessary falls away—and what remains refuses to be ignored.

At 20 x 16 inches, this acrylic portrait strips identity down to its rawest form. No color. No distraction. Just force and contrast. Black strokes cut across a luminous white ground, carving out a face that feels both familiar and just beyond reach. The eyes hold you—sharp, unwavering—while shadows press in from one side, pulling the image into tension. The other side dissolves into light, barely there, like a thought you can’t quite name.

Nothing here is accidental. The features are pushed, exaggerated, distilled: a nose defined by edge, lips that hover between presence and mystery. Even the hair resists certainty—suggested through movement and texture rather than detail, alive in its ambiguity.

This piece was born from constraint. I stepped away from color—the language I know best—to see what would happen if I let contrast speak alone. “Greta” is one of ten portraits in this series, each one testing how much can be said with less… and how powerful that restraint can become.

The process walked a fine line between control and instinct. I resisted realism. I chased energy instead—letting each mark carry urgency, letting tension build between what’s revealed and what’s withheld. Because this isn’t about likeness. It’s about presence.

“Greta” doesn’t give you answers. It asks something of you.
To look longer. To question what you see. To sit in the space between shadow and light—and realize that identity lives there.

This is not just a portrait.
It’s an encounter.

Nosotros, La Gente — We, The People

This is not a painting you simply look at—it’s one you feel.

Stretching six feet wide, Nosotros, La Gente pulses with fractured faces emerging from fire and shadow. Built from shimmering 3M materials, its surface shifts with light, revealing and concealing identities in constant motion—just like the people it represents.

At its core are three forces: Life. Liberty. Happiness. Not as ideals carved in stone, but as living, contested realities—layered in bold reds, deep blues, and earthen tones. Faces appear, dissolve, and re-form, asking you to slow down, to witness, to engage.

This piece is a declaration.
A refusal to be unseen.
A confrontation with history—and a demand for presence.

It doesn’t decorate a space. It transforms it.

For the collector who understands that art is more than aesthetic—this is a statement of conviction, culture, and power. A centerpiece that speaks before you do.

Own the conversation. Own the presence. Own the people.

Here is a video of work ready for sale in 2025. More to come later.

Details to come.

As an artist, one of the things I love most about painting murals is the opportunity to create something truly unique and innovative. Recently, I had the pleasure of working with Gustavo and Kate Romero, the owners of Oro, a new, innovative Mexican restaurant, to create a bathroom mural that truly captures the essence of their brand. The Romeros gave me complete creative freedom, telling me to “go Jimmy wild” with the design. And that’s exactly what I did.

Gustavo and Kate asked me to paint on a dark blue field, which provided the perfect backdrop for the vibrant images I chose. The mural I created for Oro is a bold and colorful representation of the restaurant’s signature style: Mexican culture in Minnesota today.

The centerpiece of the mural is Oro’s signature heirloom corn plant, which I depicted in bold, bright strokes using my distinctive “noodle” technique. I also included a mare and her foal, which symbolize fertility and abundance. These elements speak to Oro’s focus on using fresh, locally sourced ingredients combined with heirloom corn and beans from Mexico in their dishes.

Another prominent image in the mural is the volcano Popocatépetl, which looms large in Mexican culture and mythology as a symbol of strength and resilience. I wanted this image to represent Oro’s commitment to weathering any storm and emerging stronger on the other side, while always being faithful and honorable.

The quetzal bird, an iconic symbol of freedom, beauty and good luck, also makes an appearance in the mural. I depicted the bird in bright, vivid colors, emphasizing its beauty and importance in Mexican culture, and hid it in a turbulent sky.

Other elements of the mural include an abstracted pyramid, an Aztec profile, and various patterns and designs inspired by traditional Mexican textiles. These elements all come together to create a vibrant, visually striking piece of art that perfectly captures Oro’s unique style.

Throughout the mural, I used my signature “noodle” strokes to create a sense of movement and energy. The result is a dynamic, lively piece that draws the eye and invites the viewer to explore the details and imagery and discover hidden images.

The Romeros were thrilled with the final product, and I have already received positive feedback from customers who have seen the mural. It’s always a joy to be able to contribute to a space in such a meaningful way, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have worked on this project.

Creating a bathroom mural for Oro was a challenging and rewarding experience, and I’m thrilled with how the final product turned out. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend stopping by Oro to see the mural (and, of course, to enjoy some delicious Mexican cuisine).

I believe that art has the power to inspire and uplift people, even in the most challenging of circumstances. Recently I loaned 29 pieces of my artwork to the offices of the Minnesota State Senators, their Legislative Assistants, and Congressional Aides to provide a powerful and colorful backdrop for the important work in serving their constituents.

Each work was carefully chosen to reflect my unique style, which is characterized by bold colors, striking compositions, and a deep sense of emotion. The intent is to change their environment to be visually stimulating and emotionally uplifting. The State Senators, Legislative Assistants, and Congressional Aides often deal with complex and challenging issues on behalf of their constituents, and I hope that my artwork will provide them respite and inspiration during their busy days.

The reaction from the State Senators, Legislative Assistants, and Congressional Aides has been overwhelmingly positive. Many have commented on how much they appreciate the vibrancy and energy that my artwork brings to their offices. Some have even shared stories of how the artwork has sparked conversations and connections with constituents who have visited their offices.

For me, this engagement is deeply gratifying. I believe that art has the power to bring people together and to inspire positive change in our communities. By loaning my artwork to these public servants, I hope to play a small part in supporting their important work and in creating a more beautiful and inspiring world for all of us.

I was startled by the invitation identifying me as a “Hispanic Star,” at the Midwest Regional Hispanic Leadership Summit 2022, to an audience of Hispanic leaders from across the country gathered at the Global Headquarters of 3M Corporation. With exuberant moderator and 3M’s Strategy Director Country Governance and Services Marlene Lopez Ibarra, I spoke on the political and cultural influence of art and what it represents to the Hispanic community.

Unleashing that part of my mind from my youth when the world was truly wonderful and, in a purely philosophical vein, I realize that a star exists in three forms. A sun, radiating energy, a planet or other celestial body reflecting the light of the sun, and a comet streaking across the sky. Of course, this is a way to complicate a very simple thing. My goal has always been: How to engage an audience to see themselves as stars.

Through a metaphorical lens, the concrete object: the art piece, is a reflection of the energy of the artist. And like a celestial body in the expanse of the universe, it is only visible if it is hit by the light of a sun. Much of what I do is a satellite of the energy I exert. And so, the arts have an aspect of nourishing the souls of us – nosotros – with the energy that is reflected off our social endeavors. And here is my indigenous sense of humor – the sun can’t see its own light – it is too busy radiating.

When I make an object, perforce, I have to accept its independence from me. As a Hispanic artist, I am, by design, casting out energy towards the Hispanic universe. I do, however, strive to be responsible in shaping that energy. The purpose of my work is to illuminate our identity. It is when we know ourselves that we can come together and move into our own future. To physically articulate my talk, I proposed an activity to the Summit organizers that would generate a communal object. It engaged all of the participants who contributed their own energy in producing the elements that went into creating a bouquet of leadership. The beauty of the process was that it employed leaders who embraced a cooperative leadership activity.

Cooperative leaders
These people who sat down together around a table to share a meal were invited to participate in the creation of the elements for the final piece, which, parallel to its reality, had to be accomplished quickly, as if it were perishable. With their contributions, the image was created by me, at the back of the room while the summit continued.

I was deeply honored in being recognized as the appropriate person to deliver the closing grito of the summit. “Si se puede.”

The finished piece is remarkable in that it is a collaborative work of art, with Hispanic leaders and the Hispanic Star, and visually it is a metaphor of the summit. A coming together of the blooming of leadership and it is a snapshot because the universe continues, and leadership is like a flower. Once you cut it, it begins to fade.

I am excited this piece, “Hispanic Leadership Bouquet,” will be the shining star in the home of a 3M leader.