About 1 — Art by Isabel García

It all begins with an idea.

I am a self-taught, Chicana illustrator, muralist, and painter from Southeast San Diego. My work consists of various styles of vibrant portraiture and illustration, logos, small and large-scale murals, tattoo design, world-building, as well as character design. The illustrations and paintings I create are composed of bright, soft colors, usually lined in thick, dark outlines that capture happy and powerful moments in time. Life is beautiful and I aim to portray this in my work by portraying the human experience itself highlighting people who have impacted me, aspects and concepts of nature, such as animals and plants, that inspire me and make me smile.
I strive to advocate for incorporating art in the lives and education of all children from underrepresented communities, much like myself, regardless of who they are, or where they are from. Thanks to my community, I have learned how to network and hone my skills enough to become a freelance artist in an environment where art is not always present or accessible.
Although I have often been forced to travel elsewhere to experience or participate in art, I have met amazing people who have taught me equally amazing ways of bringing art to my community, and how to redesign the conversation of art in environments where it is considered a luxury.

I am inspired by superheroes and the worlds they are a part of.

I was about eleven years old when my family faced some of the most challenging years of our lives. I experienced a horrible depression I did not even understand at the time, but amidst the darkness, I created a superhero and a whole world just for him and his sidekicks. He was a fierce hero and saved his world time and time again.

In reality, he saved me from mine. The character I created holds a very special part of my heart and has helped me direct my studies and life’s work toward what I truly find valuable: art, everyday superheroes, and the imperative use of creativity in education.

A Little More About Me

Keep It Daygo interview with the ever so awesome Robert Wood

Find more of his work @ Keep It Daygo

2021

Almas Gemelas

2020

Superhero pose to empower the students of Horton Elementary

2016

Saving Our Southeast

When I was in high school, I had the opportunity to organize a project for my senior exhibition where I collaborated with students from Horton Elementary, the school principal, and local organizations to highlight the importance of superheroes and art. The purpose of the project was to go out and collaborate with our community members to create a large mural in a neighborhood that did not receive much attention. I presented to the students and staff and shared examples of superheroes whose identities reflected members of marginalized communities and who are socially considered minorities. Superheroes such as Miles Morales, the new half African-American and half Puerto Rican SpiderMan, and Kamala Khan, Ms. Marvel, who is a Muslim teenage girl also in Marvel Comics. I wanted the students to know that there existed actual superheroes who looked like us. It is important to have representation in not only school, but also in art. Superheroes have taught me a great deal about how challenging life can truly be, but also how to face it head on. It was even more meaningful to me when I learned about diverse characters whose backgrounds resembled my own. It is important to help young students from low income communities not only find a voice of their own, but how to express it.

They created superheroes whose powers were the solutions of existing issues in their community, such as Recycle Man who combated the amount of waste in the streets, and Lady Love, whose gift was love for people and all things because the student who created her believed that it was a significant component for her community and could definitely use some work. In the end, I translated their illustrations to a blueprint for a large mural of a team of superheroes that represents Us.