Abstract Painting Process in Pictures

I have been working on abstracts for the past 6 months and the process is fascinating and challenging at the same time.

Each piece goes through so many transformations that almost always I find myself working over a piece and transforming it into something entirely different that what I envisioned. 

Often one tiny mistake leads me to start the whole thing over again, one over the other over the other.

I have sometimes realized that I bury a good painting with a bad one then another *almost there* replaced by another and then another.

Documenting the steps makes me feel a bit better about it, so here it is....

I kind of miss the pieces that are created only to be buried under more paint.... 

so here it is, one of several pieces I have documented these past few weeks. 

This first photo is how it looked after one long day of working on it. I love pink and black together; I also love sap/olive green and pink- but Sergio hated the combination as much as he disliked the white splatters I made over the center, so... since I disagreed with him on both of those points, yet also was unhappy with the piece, I let it rest for the evening.

The next day, I added white all around to soften and break the space a bit.
Then more white:

At which point I encapsulated everything in one area inside the white splatters...
I liked the effects of the soft white and back and forth play of the original colors peeking through, but I was unhappy with the shape/composition
so I covered it in a glaze of burnt sienna

I liked it more now, but also wanted to add some white for balance towards the bottom.....

At this point I liked it. And it is here where it gets complicated when you second guess yourself AND you are married to a fellow painter whose critiques you respect but ..... 
so this, I liked. 
A lot.

But then I did this:

and I like that too... though at the time, I didn't realize it, so I went on...

And then the palette knife into some squarish forms...

At this point, the squares began to remind me of my "Cities at Night" Series, 

so I began to create the 

watery reflections below

And the one that follows became another piece that I liked.

I should have shown it to our son because he loved it when he saw this photo below,

but alas... I was still unsure and Sergios critiques were still the same

So I got rid of the watery effects

And regretted it right away

alas, there was nothing to do but continue

So I turned the canvas on the side and add a glop of white oil paint to it and picked up 

the palette knife again

I then decided to add more black to the central image

at which point everything changed for me
I became quite involved in the process and did not document further....

A few hours later, I had finished.

Admittedly, this is something I am very, very happy with.
The process was long, and full of surprises, a few challenges and lots of fun, a labor of love.
 I think it is a lot like life, we live, love, make mistakes, grow, stretch this way then the other, try this then that, we learn from others as well as from own revelations and ultimately, 

the process is indeed, half the fun!

The image below is not very good 

(lots of reflection as you can see)

 I will replace it with the scanned image once the piece dries.

Not only do I love my finish piece.... Sergio took one look at it and his eyes opened wide as he said:
"it's so damned good, I wish I had painted it myself"

Here is a close up of the piece:

Let me know what you think and if you would like for me to share my process with you more often!

Love & Light,

Claudia

our ARTventure in NYCity

A busy month for us with two trips to New York for our art~!

Claudia & Annie,
another of the artists represented by Parcai Designs

The first time we went, was to visit Surtex- the annual *trade show* for art licensing.

Since I only signed on with my agents 
Parcai Design in February, we thought it would be important to attend the show and get a first hand glimpse of what "art licensing" is all about.

The show began on a Sunday, so when I happened upon a "call for artists and crafts people" for the Saturday, I thought it would be a great time to do a "practice" set up with our tent and art in New York as we were scheduled to participate in the Washington Square Art Market two weeks later.

On the right, you can see some of my whimsical drawings for Halloween themed art licensing!

Our trial run was interesting. 

Sales were basically the same as we have on a Saturday at our local Farmers/Indie Market here in the Washington DC area.... still, we had to subtract expenses from that (travel, tolls etc.)- but again, more than anything, we wanted to get a "feel" for showing in NY.
Both of us have exhibited in NY in the past, but they have been gallery shows.... selling on the street is so different, and we have found that everything changes from one place to  another-even within the same city.

During our first weekend in the streets of NY, we overheard many comments such as:

"Oh look, Mexican art!"
(never have heard people saying that before.. and it was said many times and both weekends... funny, I guess here in Washington DC everything is a bit more politically correct and we may hear: "Latino Art" or "Colorful art")
we also heard:
"Religious stuff... keep walking" 
 and reactions to my "Dia de los Muertos"/Day of the Dead: "how macabre!" "how weird" 
(both of which we have not heard here in the DC area- which is admittedly more "religious" than NY, although we are not certain why the reaction to Day of the Dead art, as NY has many Mexican immigrants too).

We came back home

~unloaded our car.... and a week later re-loaded with different art. 

Deciding *what art* to take with us
the second time to NYCity

No retablos (reproductions we make on small pieces of wood), only three angels, and only a couple of "Dia de los Muertos" pieces in the "bins" not the walls.

The second weekend led us into some misadventures involving our lodging and transit to and fro the event ....
(we left our car in NYC and commuted to an affordable rental in NJ--the adage: "you get what you pay for" came true!).

The Washington Square Art Market was started by Jackson Pollock.....

"one balmy spring day in 1931, in the midst of the Depression Era. Jackson Pollock, desperately in need of funds to pay the rent on his Greenwich Village studio that also served as his home, took a few of his iconoclastic paintings down several flights of stairs and set them up on the sidewalk near Washington Square Park. His friend and fellow Village artist, Willem DeKooning, in equally desperate financial straits, soon joined him.."

As far as sales, the first day was horrible for all the artists, but the second day was profitable (though again, we need to subtract the travel & lodging expenses from it all);  nonetheless we did make a profit and we were able to take our art to a wider audience, in short, we are very pleased overall!

It was again underlined to me how different the public in NY is to DC metro area...
This time around, with only three paintings of angels, we still heard comments that the art was "too religious" ....
One woman was *very tempted to buy an angel* she came back three times- but said she felt "like a hypocrite because I am not religious" .... (she did not buy it)

You can see our booth set up in NYCity here.

One of the BEST parts of the show

~the other artists we met who were exhibiting nearby: a Portuguese potter, a Chinese photographer, Jamaican painter and a native New Jersey couple who paint Americana folk art.  

The interactions we had with them were fluid and natural and just truly amazing... it felt like "home" to us...  not only wonderful people, they are all full time artists, which is what we aspire to....*hoping* that soon Sergio can let go of his day job as an assistant teacher...

One of the artists, a Jamaican artist, I am quite sure must have known my father as he was exhibiting in the UN in the late 70's and 80's which is when my dad was at the UN and as a side assignment, he would help with curating the UN exhibitions where this artist exhibited often at that time and also they both knew the Ivory Coast ruler/later: president Boigny who I remember having dinner with at my Papa's place in NYC.
It is always touching for me to meet someone who may have known my father... 

We have exchanged phone numbers with the group and have already made dinner plans for when we return in September! 

We came home absolutely exhausted... part of it was the "not sleeping" the couple of nights before the trip as we had so much to get ready for... part of it was not sleeping when we arrived because other guests at the place we stayed at were making sooooo much noise all night... 

On our way home, Sunday, when we were only about 20 minutes from home, we came upon a HUGE traffic accident. It was after 2:00am... and we arrived upon the accident only minutes after it happened- ambulances and police began to arrive after we did.

Then, a second accident (a van that slipped in the oil spill of the first)- it was all very chaotic... and cars were playing *bumper cars* all around... we watched as the car in front of us hit the one right in front of them as that driver was standing outside his car looking at the chaos... it was awful... but we could not help but be thankful that we had not arrived there minutes earlier ... and pray for the victims.

We arrived home at 4 a.m.   

It is now Wednesday, and I am only now recovering from all the travel and sleepless nights *whew*

BUT, it was all well worth it and we both look forward to doing it again for Labor day weekend in September!

Our space was in front of a Mexican Restaurant.... the owner not only bought a piece the last day of the show... he gifted us frozen Margaritas! 

Mary Magdalene

Today, I am excited to announce I have been featured on Artsy Shark! You can read it here

And I want to share with you the woman I have most looked up to all my life:

Mary Magdalene:

The beautiful sweet energy of  Mary Magdalene  emanates pure unconditional Love.  

I have always felt misunderstood and misjudged by my family of origin... thus I have always resonated with Maria Magdalena.

She loved with earnest understanding of the frailty of humanity; though judged and misunderstood of who she was as a child of God-she loved *no matter what was said about her*...

 the rumors and negativity did not get in her way of Pure Unconditional Love for all.

 She chose to do her work from a higher consciousness, where love reigns supreme.

This is what I aspire to, each day!!

 

When you are at one with the Divine and choose not to dwell in the states of judgement, human bickering & chaos, you are working from the levels of higher consciousness where love rules supreme and where the most good can be done. 

Where you dwell in consciousness is where you truly dwell
keep your vibration high,
your thoughts sweet
keep focusing positively.. keeping your heart open to more love...... 

Prints available in three different sizes

16x12 in. $75.00 USD 12x9 in. $55.00 USD 7x5.25 in. $30.00 USD

Athena, Goddess of War and Wisdom

As I work through this process of inner healing, I was thinking about which of the Goddesses to share with you that applied to my situation ....

At first I thought of the Goddess Oestra, for new beginnings... but Athena, the Goddess of War and Wisdom; patroness of warriors and artists, called to me so loudly as I scanned through my Goddess images... I paused and listened.


And as I read what I wrote about her (below) several months ago..... she was telling me:
                  
             " this is a time for you to put your armor on... you are in full battle!

 

Indeed it is "a time for battle" as I fight for my emotional health and healing of the heart.

Although Athena is a warrior goddess, she battles with diplomatic wit and justice instead of weapons. 

Her most powerful tool is inner wisdom and as such, reminds us to pause in the midst of our troubles and seek wisdom from our very core.

The battles we face in life are not to be fought with violent or passive aggressiveness, with false witness/gossip  about others, with manipulation-- we are to fight life's battles head on with truth by our side always seeking for the highest good of all involved. 

Too focus on what we need to do: dig deep, heal and finally to come out renewed and strengthened

Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are. 
~Arthur Golden,

I find it interesting that she is the Goddess of war and artists.... indeed, as many of us know: Art heals; and I recently heard one therapist advice that the best way to heal from trauma is to do something creative...anything- but it must be something that you love.
So for some it may singing, or knitting or cooking, planting a flower garden.... Art heals and is a necessary "weapon" for life and healing.

I am ready for my battle towards healing; armed with traditional tools as I am now not only seeing a therapist, but also have joined a support group for people who like me, are healing from trauma resulting from abuse. And I am also utilizing the tools of my art as my therapy and thus gifting myself May and June to heal and paint as my teaching load will be minimal these two months (the cut backs at my college teaching gig last month a  blessing in disguise!). 

Are you too "in battle" with something in your life?
Remember: we are not responsible for some of the challenges that life brings forth, but we are responsible for how we respond to them....things in your life may be horrible, but you have a choice of how you will continue/push through and not only endure, but be strengthened by the process.

We acquire the strength we have overcome. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

About Athena the Goddess of war, wisdom and the arts- 
She's the daughter of Zeus, known for her creativity, wisdom, justice and diplomacy-
ie: averting war, solving problems in a strong, decisive manner. Her tree is the olive tree (the meaning of "Olivos" in Spanish is Olive trees). The owl is her companion. 

Legend goes that Athena and her uncle Poseidon were both very fond of a certain city in Greece. Both of them claimed the city and it was decided that the one that could give the finest gift should have it. Leading a procession of citizens, the two gods mounted the Acropolis. Poseidon struck the side of the cliff with his trident and a spring welled up. The people marveled, but the water was as salty as Poseidon's sea and it was not very useful. Athena's gift was an olive tree, which was better because it gave the people food, oil and wood. Athena named her city Athens.




Athena Original Painting
              $275.00

Prints available in three different sizes

16x12 in. $75.00 USD 12x9 in. $55.00 USD 7x5.25 in. $30.00 USD

My lost paintings have been found!

This is a rambling post because I am *so* excited!

The paintings (all oil on canvas) that were stolen from me by the Mexican government and 5 years later auctioned off.....................have been found!! 

was contacted by the collector a few years ago, he was at first concerned because he knew they had been stolen, I am grateful he had the moral compass to contact me. We chatted via FaceBook and he assured me he would have the paintings exhibited throughout Mexico.

Sadly, he passed away soon after contacting me... may you rest in peace Omar....Thank you!

All I knew of him was his kindness and that he was a young man. It was very sad. I waited before posting on his *In Memoriam FB wall*....
I didn't want to be disrespectful to all those grieving. I posted again a year later, and so it has gone until TODAY, when I finally received a response from his sister about these pieces that I LOVE so much; she now owns the paintings.

These two were part of the seven and are part of a series I painted entitled "The Soul Keeper."

The one above measures about 20" x 20"
and the one below measures about 3 x 4 feet. Each painting has poetry by one of my two favorite poets (Khalil Gibran and Pablo Neruda) that goes with it.

The US Embassy, the Mexican Embassy..not even the State Department could help me.... I prayed so much for them to come back to me, I imagined them in the same HUGE wooden box I built for them to be shipped there, just leaning outside our little home-I imagined it all with great Faith and prayer and *Quantum physics* imaginings too!

But they never arrived at my doorstep.

The box I shipped them in was so big, I had to enlist the help of 2 friends to carry it on top of a van, I remember driving through snowy streets to ship them down to Mexico...
The last time I saw them....

 *wow* It is very, very AWEsome to know where they are. 

I am not like this with all my work....I have collectors all over the world, many whom I have never met... but this group... (not the first to be stolen either, I had 3 paintings stolen from GALA theater in Washington DC many years ago-I have no documentation of those as I made them especially for the exhibit)- these were my favorite pieces at the time; sent down there for my first Museum show, in my *adopted country* -where my father lived for 8 years as a UN diplomat, where I spent many, many happy vacations....  where now I have not only the connection with my art there, but my Mexican partner in love & life -whom I met during that trip, who has never seen those pieces in person....

The heart's affections are divided like the branches of the cedar tree; if the tree loses one strong branch; it will suffer but it does not die; it will pour all its vitality into the next branch so that it will grow and fill the empty place.

Kahlil Gibran 

This is a small canvas,  I sent three of these they measure 9" x 12" and were part of my "Visual Poetry" series.

This one to the right is super meaningful as I painted it the first time that my son went on a full week's vacation with the ex husband.... I was so worried and concerned, it was my prayer for Sacred care while he was away.
This is a piece that was bathed in tears as I painted it during that week,
lots of rum and cokes and m&m's ..... a time where everything was so new to me. I married so young, that being a divorcee opened up a world of so many things.... dating and dancing and paying bills and worries as a student/working single mom.... but my son was my *all* (still is!).... I pray he is always protected and cared for my *All that Is*.

Love is the only freedom in the world because it so elevates the spirit that the laws of humanity and the phenomena of nature do not alter its course.

Kahlil Gibran

I also sent them some of my favorite "Abstracted figurative" pieces 
This piece measurees 2 x 3 feet (or larger)

These were pieces about love and desire. About broken pieces of humanity coming together to form an "us"

When I painted them, I was going through relationships in the style of the Surrealists: "serial dating"....
I was very interested in the concept of 'soulmates' and unions... sex was for the first time "in mind" and enjoyable (my first marriage is one I was forced into by my mother, it was love-less and sex was a chore).
I discovered so much about myself... a time of shedding and great personal growth.

See the wings? :

God has given you a spirit with wings on which to soar into the spacious firmament of Love and Freedom. Is it not pitiful than that you cut your wings with your own hands and suffer your soul to crawl like an insect upon the earth?

Kahlil Gibran

This piece measures about 2 x 3 feet.

I could go on and on... and in the past I have... before Sergio accidentally crashed my website two years ago, I had documented all my contacts with Mexican and USA authorities to try to get my work back. There, I had letters from Mexico lying about the fact that they had my work... a letter from the Mexican cultural attache, washing his hands off of the whole "affair" (as he put it)- admitting, yet back pedaling re: his knowledge of the theft....  etc. etc.
BUT, I don't want to focus on all the negativity... I am excited to know where these pieces are, and will hopefully someday be able to better document them via good photos or scans.

Spiritual awakening is the most essential thing in man's life, and it is the sole purpose of being. Is not civilization, in all its tragic forms, a supreme motive for spiritual awakening?

Kahlil Gibran

Rhiannon, "The Great Queen"

Rhiannon 

The "Great Queen." 

As a shape shifter, she can assume any form she desires often appearing as a white horse.

Rhiannon is a muse Goddess accompanied by three sweetly singing birds who can revive the dead or put the living to sleep. It was believed that the source of the Welsh King's power derived from Rhiannon, and a candidate for kinghood met Rhiannon dressed as a stag, a regal figure symbolic of rejuvenation, beauty, strength, and instinctual masculine energy.

Rhiannon is goddess of the night, representing the connection between death and rebirth. She demands that we honor our instinctive and animal selves as a source of creativity, abundance, and order.

When I pulled her out of my deck I was *thrilled* because she is mirmagical, and her message could not be more appropriate to my life right now: She is here to remind us that even though we have been unfairly judged, we are part of All that IS (God/Higher Power/Spirit)... our spirit is always in divine and perfect balance and our power is always aligned with truth and integrity.

Rhiannon helps us to remain steadfast within our own Truth despite the opinions and judgments of others. This Divine Lady of Light encourages us to reclaim our personal power, encourages us to reclaim our divine birthright to live within the freedom of our Personal Truth!

She comes with absolute understanding of the trials we meet here, trials we endure to learn, grow and ascend; and she combines compassion with encouragement to help us to transcend the roles of victim, encouraging us to REMEMBER our Sovereign Self, to reclaim our divine birthright to shine the illuminated Light of our True Magnificence!

Rhiannon Original Painting
               $275.00

Prints available in three different sizes

16x12 in. $75.00 USD 12x9 in. $55.00 USD 7x5.25 in. $30.00 USD

Butterfly Maiden

Butterfly Maiden

Finished my latest Goddess... The Native American Butterfly Maiden.

Her themes are: rebirth, beauty, fertility, balance, freedom, and nature. Her symbols are butterflies, seedlings, rainwater, and spring flowers. 

Butterfly Maiden flutters into our lives today to reconnect us with nature and ourselves, to help us rediscover that graceful butterfly within each of us – the one that effortlessly rises above all troubles/problems and disappointments....making the world its flower....


It is quite interesting that she is my last Goddess for this year (I will begin again in January).... 2013 has been a difficult year for me in so many ways- and quite unexpectedly as 13 is my favorite number and I had high expectations for this year... nevertheless.. I am sure that *much* has stirred at a spiritual level within me...

Butterfly Maiden reminds me that this is the year where I have had to face my own darkness without fear. 

I have had very difficult years in the past... 6 straight awful years with "the ex" suing me at every turn, false accusations-though he never won in court- he always continued to sue me-- his way of punishing me for having left him.Unfortunately, he punished my son in the process using him as a pawn.. this was excruciating for me to see.. and so I was in battle-protecting my 'young' as a fierce Lioness for all these years. Now, it is over.He moved away in May... and without even realizing it (until writing this)... this is when I was able to *breathe*.

And so, unconsciously, I entered the cocoon of darkness--Damp, dark and sometimes frightening.

A cocoon to 're-group', face truths, let go of lies and false dreams...everything I overlooked when I had to focus on protecting my son.

A journey back to the essence of being....

Dark and lonely though not alone. 

Yet, I trust the process, knowing that when the time is exactly perfect, I will emerge from the mystery, bringing back a little bit of *mirmagic* from a dark place- transformed and "come through" the necessary molding of my heart and spirit.
I trust fully that when I am finally ready to spread my wings again, I will ascend higher and faster than ever did I imagine my dreams would lift me... higher and higher!

I feel the movement already of these wings.... I already see the light... yet I continue to wait patiently for the process to gently coax me forth...

And so I wish the same for you.... may you cocoon when needed, to reshape and be again and again, be renewed to higher realms...!

I also wanted to share with you a beautiful poem written by my Facebook friend Patricia (thank you for sharing this with my readers Patricia!)

One Dream 

by Patricia DeMarco

A night mist rose from the shallow waters of an inland lake


Following a path formed by the breezes gently blowing towards me.


My breath shared its pulsing rhythms.

The myst enveloped me with a shimmering vagueness.


Inviting me to journey above the earth, we flew upwards into the heavens


Above the town lights glimmering softly through the clouds below.

A feminine essence intersected our path, slowing our upwards journey.


Lying amidst a shimmering mist reflecting crystalline glaciers and flowing rivers,


Her heart beat rhythms of peace and forgiveness.

We eased in alongside, waking her with gentle speech and soft touch.
Breathing musical tones of singing birds and showering raindrops,


She opened eyes revealing gentleness of soul and depth of beauty.

The mysts dispersed, slipping beyond form, function and time
Leaving us to continue the journey of exploration and understanding,


That we are one dream seeking a divine union with light.

Prints available in different sizes:

16x12 in. $75.00 USD 12x9 in. $55.00 USD 7x5.25 in. $30.00 USD

the Spirituality of trees

Last January we decided this year we would have a "theme" for our 2013 works: Goddesses and flowers.... of course, it takes me weeks and even months to create a piece so I have been working on my Goddesses since January, but Sergio's process is quick with encaustics and he works beginning in late September .... he has decided to focus on Cherry Blossoms and Dogwoods.... his love of Japanese ancient culture led him to it when he created a piece for our son (who also loves Japanese ancient culture).... 

Sergio's latest pieces are these fantastic Cherry Blossoms in encaustics:

We both believe that Trees hold a special significance as both practical providers and powerful spiritual presences and have witnessed life on earth over large expanses of time. Spirit breathes aliveness into their mystical individuality.  In many cultures a tree symbolizes the world center, where heaven and earth touch, where all times and places converge. For this reason trees are considered sacred and provide a focal point for meditation, enlightenment, guidance and prayer and if we are open to their energy, will converse with us. 

We have behind our studio, a large Sycamore that stands above all other trees in the area, it is in fact, protected by our local government as a historic "monument" and we are not allowed to cut it down (not that we ever would!). In southern Mexico, the Sycamore is paid homage to as it was revered and used in rituals by the Olmecs.

Trees are super special to us... my last name "Olivos" means Olive trees... one of the things that Sergio and I loved about one another when met is how much we both are into Semiotics..and thus he took my last name when we married.

The Olive tree is considered a Tree of Life
and is symbolic of Harmony, Tranquility and Serenity <3 font="">
The Olive tree has been celebrated and referenced in the cultural works of every society. Thomas Jefferson wrote, "The olive tree is surely the richest gift of Heaven".
The foliage of the Olive tree has been used for centuries to honor victory, wisdom and peace. In Genesis, an olive branch was returned to Noah on the ark by a dove, signaling the end of the great flood.

"The purest essence comes from the oldest trees who have peaked developmentally in their 

being-ness. Older trees communicate to younger trees a vibrancy that supports and encourages their growth. There is an intelligence on the other side from which life springs. The force of gravity helps us to live. Through gravity we receive light from the sky. Gravity is the bridge to the other world where earth connects to the sky. Trees act like magnetic funnels." ~ Goelitz

 Pine trees also have much ritual as their history... and whether we think of it or not- we pay homage to it annually as a Christmas tree.

 The Cherry blossom holds much symbolism in Japan; according to the Buddhist tradition, the breathtaking but brief beauty of the blossoms symbolizes the transient nature of life.  
The flowers last for at most a few weeks, but during that time, both the mountains and the cities are full of the delicate pink flowers, be the trees wild or cultivated. 

 “The traditional Japanese values of purity and simplicity are thought to be reflected in the form and color of the blossoms.” ~Osamu

Honor the ancient wisdom of the trees that surround you in the everyday, notice their beauty and hear their whispers....

Huichol Shaman blessings and another Kickstarter project soon

This afternoon we were blessed to have been visited by a Shaman from Mexico.

We knew he was here in Washington DC on a two week visit from Nayarit, Mexico and had been invited to hear him speak in Baltimore, but yesterday I received a phone call from a friend telling me he was coming to the area to visit a DC gallery and did we want a "house cleaning and blessing".... of course the answer was *Si!!!*  

He came here to bless our studio and our home!

The Huichol are a Native American ethnic group of western central Mexico; Huichol Art dates back millenia. During spiritual rituals Shaman have visions which are then transcribed into carvings, yarn and beading.

In the past, the beads were made from clay, shells, corals, seeds and more and using them to make jewelry and to decorate bowls and other items. 

The “modern” beadwork usually consists of masks and wood sculptures covered in small, brightly colored commercial beads fastened with wax and resin.

He told us about their creation story and about the fact that for the Huichol people:

 art is a means of encoding and channeling sacred knowledge. It is considered a form of prayer, providing direct communion with the sacred realm.

Every artwork they create carries heavily symbolic, esoteric  symbols.....mmmh... sounds exactly like what Sergio and I are drawn to: spirituality, symbolism and everything Native American....

We have been trying to decide where to go for our next

Kickstarter project.

.. we were thinking either Peru, here in the USA...... or Mexico....