Coming Soon: Ritmos/Rhythms

I will be Studio 4's featured artist for the month of September.
My new collection, "Ritmos/Rhythms" will celebrate my Latino heritage, particularly its rich sounds and flavors. There will be an Opening Reception on Saturday, September 8th 6-9pm (more details to come in the weeks ahead).

Yesterday I began working on a Latin Jazz inspired piece.

En la Cocina (In the Kitchen)

This piece pays tribute to and was inspired by three women who played pivotal roles in my upbringing; my mother (far right), aunt (center) and grandmother figure (far left).

En la Cocina/In the Kitchen
mixed media on canvas
48" x 60"
Available directly from my studio or through www.latinpopshop.com

Sofrito

Sofrito
Acrylic on canvas/8x10"

Tradición

The New Year's Eve cooking officially got underway yesterday. I spent the afternoon in the kitchen preparing dessert.

Arroz con Dulce (aka: Arroz con Coco) is a Puerto Rican version of rice pudding. Coconut, cloves, ginger and cinnamon are the main flavor components of this dish. It's not a runny pudding, like the typical kind. In fact once spooned into serving platters and cooled it "sets" and can be served in slices. I made quite a few plates.
I'll be preparing a few other Puerto Rican treats for ringing in '09.

Note:
There's a few variations (on measurements mostly) on the recipe out there. The link above is to the one I followed...though at one point I abandoned it and just followed instinct as usual.
I also made it times 5.