Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ines Alvidres. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ines, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

What’s been the most meaningful project you have work on tell us a backstory so we can understand circumstances-context and why it’s meaningful to you? I think this is a very difficult question, but I love to answer it because every project from the beginning has been meaningful to me. When I go back and think of my very first paintings, I can ensure you that they all have a special meaning and their own story. I started to develop different styles and being inspired by different subjects that helped me to discover that as I was growing as an artist the meaning increases and each project became more personal to me. Today I can look at any of my paintings and tell you the whole story behind it. More recently I found that one of my favorites to paint are the ones that the husband will commission me, where they have their wives favorite flower or a special place where they spent good memories using my touch as an artist. Together we create this magical moment where the wife can see and knows that her husband knows her well and knows exactly what she likes. For me those are the ones that are becoming very special as they allow me to be part of their story. They give me all the freedom to paint on my style but also to be part of their love story. But when I go back to the beginning of my career when I painted simple small guitars, they meant something deeply to me and still do. The mandalas and the abstract paintings I painted in the past even though they were very inspired by shape and colors, the truth is that is my roots, my traditions were always a big part of those paintings. I wish I can pick just one painting and say that it is the most meaningful, but the reality is that I can’t. I hope that every painting that I create becomes more and more meaningful without taking any value away from the ones before. I never want to compare old paintings to new ones and classify them as better or worse. I hope that my experience as an artist makes my work more meaningful as it goes in that I just develop a craving to create the next painting with the same joy.

Ines, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was born and raised in Chihuahua Mexico, the land of the Tarahumaras. When I was 16 years old we moved to Beaumont, TX. The years have gone by and the best part is that I still remember and can share stories about my childhood, and I think those stories are the ones that have inspired the beginning of my career as a painter. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to be here in the US, and I believe one of the best parts is that Texas has influenced my art the same way today. I paint and I’m so inspired by what surrounds me here, without forgetting the shapes and the colors that the Tarahumaras instilled in me back home. Today I find myself sharing part of my story, and I try to give as much detail. The story will never change. I have often told how my hope is not to make this story better because this story is what it is, my only hope is that I get to become a better storyteller. When I was a child dreaming to become a painter or an artist it was nothing but a dream. My experience has taught me that even if it doesn’t feel real it can happen. The biggest part of becoming is believing, and I did not believe until I met real, hardworking and alive artists, someone that is doing exactly what you dream to become one day. I’m very grateful and blessed to have found a group of artists in Beaumont, Tx. A group of people that show their unapologetic love for art, music, poetry, photography you name it, anything creative, every place I went I found some sort of inspiration. Today I find myself painting what speaks to me. Shapes and color will always be the core of my paintings, but I must admit that nature has a special place in my artist heart. My work was a lot more abstract at the beginning, today I like to call my art friendly abstract. I’m well aware that some people don’t like abstract art. I remember how people mentioned to me “I don’t care for abstract art works, but I love yours” I believe it was the bright colors. I continue using the bright colors and yes, the subjects are constantly changing. I also thought about the people that only appreciate abstract art. I realize I wanted to make something that was more friendly to those that did not like abstract and maintain enough abstraction for those that love abstract. One of my goals as an artist is to be able to connect with as many people as possible. I create friendly abstract straight from the heart always with the hope to put a smile on your face. Besides painting, I realize that sharing my artwork with the community especially children in the community is what keeps me going. I volunteer to be part of events and festivals by providing a big canvas, paint and yes some instruction but not much. Children carry a true artist in them. We’re not painting just anything we paint buildings from the city, name street signs, and other land marks from their community. My goal is not just to share my love for art but also to help them embrace their beautiful Beaumont, Texas. Everyone gets to put a stroke on this community painting, and I know in my heart that they feel a sense of belonging. After doing this for some years, I have experienced how they do remember and come back to me and mention how they painted for the first time with me. Those are the moments where I remember that just showing art for people to see is just one aspect of my mission. The main goal is to embrace the artist life by example and to tell these little kids that there are painters out there. Also other creatives and musicians that are doing this as a living, and if they love it deeply enough, yes, they can do it too.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I didn’t realize that moving to the U.S. would be as challenging as it was. Let me mention, I was only 16 years old. Who moves a teenager to a country where she doesn’t speak the language? Today, I know, it was parents that just wanted what was best for myself and my siblings. For me, learning English was one of the most difficult things. I saw others learning so fast, but that wasn’t me. I always loved to speak and express myself growing up by telling stories, and now I had lost that. I was a teenager speaking like a toddler. I decided when I learned English, I was going to learn it and speak it like I did in Spanish, with flavor and passion and a broader vocabulary. That was just a lesson that would later relate to my art career because I realized that art is a universal language. And as a teenager, I was learning to communicate by painting, and then again, I wanted to learn to speak the language of painting with the same intention. I had to educate myself with artist biographies, visiting as many museums and galleries, going to lectures, and speaking to other artists. I can express myself fully and confidently in Spanish and English and can possibly learn more languages, but I know my art can speak to everyone without me saying one word.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I had the opportunity to spend some years with a very talented Mexican painter which I believe had the talent to become anything he wanted to be. I helped and supported his dream of being an artist the time we spent together. Long story short, one day he was no longer there. I am grateful, and I believe that this event in my life helped me to pursue and be where I am today. The reason we got along so well is because we both love creating. I just did not think I had as much talent as he did, but my love for art was always there. Well that morning when he was no longer next to me, I had a conversation with myself. I asked myself do you really want to create? Do you really wanna be an artist? Either answer was fine. If I say no it was good, but I wasn’t going to be saying that I paint once in a while, or I paint sometimes, or I might be or not, I was not going to be an artist period. But if I say yes! I was going to commit and go for it. I told myself do not get out of bed until you have an answer. Between you and I, that morning it took me longer than usual to get out of bed. I have to ask myself one more time the same question, and I respond “yes.” I even surprised myself and thought did I just say yes to myself. The truth is that it was one of the scariest things I have done, but once I said “yes.” Stepping out of bed with my right food, I promised to walk from that day on as an artist. That moment changed everything. I am an artist, and yes, I want to pursue a career, and I want to paint until the last days of my life. The journey as an artist has been interesting, full of ups and downs. I wonder sometimes why am I doing it, but I wonder more what if I didn’t because I know in my heart that this is what I was born to do. It’s not just the painting part and creating art, but also to share what it took to get here and most importantly to share my passion to young artist that can’t imagine or think that they can become one. I had to share this story because I didn’t think about it for a long time, but there has to be one day when you decide to make a change in your life. It doesn’t have to do with career. It can be about your personal life, something you say you’re committing to and you’re going to do especially if it’s something that is going to be good for you, help you improve your life or help you be the better version of yourself. I know that we have a purpose, and we just have to find that purpose. Once we find that purpose, it doesn’t matter what life throws at you, you find ways to overcome, continue and find joy. This alone can inspire many.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.amarteartstudio.com
• Instagram: @inesalvidres.art
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008849563677

Image Credits
kenyan Guidry @capturedbyken pictures of cactus, blue heron and bicile murals