Un Po Raro
Un Po Raro 9x12 in. Acrylic, oil pastels, & collage on canvas June 2021 In Spanish "un po raro" means "a bit weird" or "a bit strange." I love languages, particularly Italian and Spanish. And I use them pretty frequently in my work. Unfortunately, unless you're a native speaker there's always a risk you'll get the context of the word or phrase wrong; however, with a decent grasp of the language you can be on fairly solid ground. Using other languages in one's work also causes you to run the risk of "Cultural Appropriation," a phenomenon I am completely aware of, and conscious not to commit. In my case, and until I'm told otherwise, I prefer to think my use of other languages comes from an appreciation and fascination with words -- in general -- and other cultures to which I have a close association and familiarity. This painting started out as kind of a joke. I had some leftover tan colored paint (I rarely wast
