Mountains to Sea

A river is born in the mountains and travels through plains before becoming an estuary and reaching the ocean. As a resident of the Tijuana River watershed, I use my experiences exploring the region by foot and bicycle as a backdrop for my parenting journey. Traditional landscape paintings are empty of people, but I want to contrast this by combining people, plants and animals as a symbol of our interconnectedness. 

Human health requires natural spaces for recreation and enjoyment. Historically disadvantaged communities have a disproportionate lack of access to natural spaces. Sadly, many children grow up without experiences in nature which they need to deepen their understanding of humanity’s place in the ecosystem. My work envisions a potential future where people and nature can co-exist.

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California has lost 90% of its wetlands to urban development, and despite this, San Diego county remains very biodiverse. Wetlands throughout the southern California region are critical stopovers for migrating birds on the Pacific Flyway. In North America, 1 in 4 birds were lost since 1950 primarily due to habitat loss. I hope viewers will support restoration projects in their own area.