Arlene Carranza hails from Long Beach, California, and will join the Cornish Art Department this autumn. Though she considers acrylic paint her favorite material, she’s also learned this year that she enjoys sculpture. About her aspirations she writes, “I have my interests, but I’m really open to where my art takes me, to the knowledge I’ll develop, and to the people I’ll meet along the way.” Arlene enjoys elotes and tortillas.
“I struggled with having a process at all with this piece but found one in the end. I chose something that inspires me and that I say often, the Ave Maria prayer.” – Arlene
“In Aztec culture, Ozomatli is the companion of Xochipilli, the god of art and music. The creature is a monkey and, like Xochipilli, often associated with art and music. This piece represents the love of my late grandmother for the arts. Yellow and orange signal the beginning of the morn. Light and dark blue signify the sadness of her death. She was my companion and got me to push my craft. I chose to play on the words ‘mourn’ and ‘morn’ to signal her passing as not only an end but the start of a beautiful beginning. Her love of the arts lives on within me.” – Arlene
