Tell us about your work, how did you get started?

Through the support and encouragement of my co-workers in the laboratory, I took an opportunity to show my artwork in coffee and taco shops. I also wanted to show in galleries but began to feel that it was limiting to people who would ask me, "Do I have to pay to go into that gallery? Do I have to dress a certain way to go in a gallery? Why is that gallery only open at odd hours?"

I felt that coffee and taco shops are the modern day 'pulquerias'. In Mexico, pulquerias were pretty much a bar, a social hangout where all gathered to drink pulque (a drink made from the agave plant). These places were decorated with murals of everyday life in Mexico. At the time, art was mostly religious or of aristocrats. Different types of people, including artists and writers, were attracted to the content of these murals and so made these places popular. I wanted my work to be seen by my community and felt that these two types of locations had lots of people and traffic of all types of backgrounds. Owners of both types of venues welcomed my work with much enthusiasm and the response from the clientele was very positive.

At the same time, I introduced myself to the art community in San Diego and began to build relationships with artists and gallery owners alike. By creating a nurturing niche in San Diego, I have been able to show my work in other cities.

Most notable milestones

This is hard because I am always so excited about sharing my artwork and interacting with 'gente' that come across my work.

The events that still stand out in my mind are painting a mural on a two-story building at Calle Quilca in downtown Peru and almost killing myself doing it when I fell off the old, wooden ladder. Other artists have told me that that event was my baptism to the hardships of muralism.

Soon after having my first solo art show at Voz Alta in San Diego where I introduced my series Loteria de La Mujer was completely inspiring and gratifying.

Having my artwork selected by La Raza Galeria Posada in Sacramento to represent their Xihualt show was an honor. Walking up to the community-based gallery and having my painting Cuidadora Ancestral II blown up into a gigantic poster that hung outside announcing the show of stellar Latina artists.

Luego, to be featured in a three-page spread in the NYC magazine Urban Latino and giving my family copies of the magazine was really special. My Mom even encouraged me to quit my day job after that!

Recently, making the full circle with my paintings of Loteria de La Mujer and producing a limited edition Loteria de La Mujer game, postcards and greeting cards (through the help of Pinwheel Productions) has been a mind blowing experience at all levels!

What's the niche?

My middle name makes me unique. My Dad named me Crisol because he said I am the crisol of our family.

Crisol is an object used to fuse metal together but what he thought would be most relevant to whom he wanted me to be was the following...a place of meeting where different people, ideas, nationalities, cultures join to form a new synthesis.

He told me this when I was about 8 years old. I felt SO special and that is when I began to believe in myself.

To be Mexican is to be a mixture of the Native American and the European heritage and my parents always taught my siblings and myself to be proud of that fusion.

My life has always been and will continue to be a Crisol, from growing up wanting to be a surgeon, a cook and a back up dancer for Janet Jackson to becoming a molecular biologist, an artist and a pretty good salsa dancer. Life is good!

What's the biggest challenge?

Time, socializing, and discipline. I love to socialize (meet up with old friends or introduce myself to new friends at a store, concert, or park) and it gets me in trouble all the time. I will stay talking for hours and neglect time passing, along with the things I set myself out to do for that day. I just cannot walk away from a good conversation, someone venting his or her frustrations or a productive argument. Therefore my discipline to go into the studio after work is easily shot by a phone call or an invitation to dinner. But usually somewhere between 10pm and 2am the painting Gods send a bolt of energy to me and I get through a painting. My mind sifts through conversations and ideas while I paint.

What are your biggest influences?

My heritage, starting with my parents and siblings. We are all so different that I have learned so much from each of them. My grandparents have been a big part of my drive. They have all worked extremely hard throughout their lives and in the end, they have made my life easy.

However simple or difficult, music and food has always been a moving force. I cannot function unless I have the music blasting and a refrigerator full of fruits, vegetables and sweets. Finally traveling has had the greatest effect in my life. My parents planted the seed by showing us kids most national parks in the Western part of the US through the inside of a Chevy van. I have great memories of collecting view finder disks of Yosemite, eating tortas and fritos while overlooking the Grand Canyon while storms developed, and sitting on the cooler placed between my Dad (the driver) and my Mom (the navigator). And now my parents wonder why I will take off to any country with simply a backpack and at least one contact person.

What is the background behind Loteria de la Mujer?

I was in my last year at UCSD sitting in a protein evolution lecture and doodling my anxieties. I really had been focused to go into a PhD program the year before, and now that I was about to graduate, I felt like I wanted to be ME for a change. Not the baby of the family, not the hungry student but simply the women in love, a grandmother. What was my lot in life? or es la vida una loteria (is life a lottery)? I just did not know what was in store for me.

One thing I did want was for each of those stages of my life to be honored or seen with a positive image. Being a stay-at-home Mom had been presented to me as negative image, but when I would think about it I would always see it as the biggest challenge I have yet to face. I felt the need to change that socially imposed negative image. As I met women of diverse backgrounds in college I realized how important it is to embrace and feel like each stage of our life is accomplished. To be able to live life with no regrets and living towards the future became very important to me.

So I mixed my childhood game Loteria and created images of 20 women at different stages of life that I think are universal. But as I mentioned before I did not paint these until 2003. When the opportunity came up to have a solo show I looked through my sketchbooks and notes to develop the scribble into a reality.

How do you personally relate to the traditional female roles portrayed in Loteria de la Mujer?

Each image is very personal. If it is not a reflection of myself it is a reflection of my niece (La Bebe), a mix of my friends kids (La Niña) or my mother (La Trabajadora). These are all women I have had a relationship with. Yes, even La Muerte.

As I mentioned before, I hope to continue to make each stage of my life memorable and not allow negative stigmas to overshadow what the triumph of being a women really is. I hope those who come in contact with the images can also take a positive mindset from it. So far this series has really had a positive response.

In - "In the beginning was the Ovum" - you pose a very interesting question - What makes a Woman a Woman? - what is your answer?

Ay, I am still trying to work my thoughts through this conundrum by painting and lots of reading. Today as a scientist I will say Estrogen, Progesterone, and how those hormones give the women the monthly opportunity to create life. My artist/feminist side will say all that makes a women attractive and desirable; intense eyes, flushed cheeks, pink lips, a sense of confidence, an alert mind and a compassionate heart.

What's in store for the future?

Marriage. More mixing of cultures, ideas, paints and homes. Currently I am painting a series of paintings that take a look at being a woman at a molecular level. My science side is starting to make subtle appearances in my artwork and I want to continue to explore and develop those ideas that plague my mind. I feel that I am learning and becoming a better scientist and artist.

Who would you like to be contacted by?

Anyone. There are a million connections to still be made. I hope to be able to contribute to the creation, development and progress of positive ideas or projects that will help the quality of life for all.

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