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Cruzando
Cruzando
Oil on wood panel
11 x 14 inches
2021

After talking to a friend not familiar with these blue barrels, I realized I should explain. I'm painting the South Texas landscape, specifically the area south of the checkpoint and north of the Rio Grande river. These are the things I see. On my drives from the border town of Brownsville, TX to Portland, TX (to see my family) the highway is dotted with these blue barrels. On the side of the barrel is usually painted "Agua" (water). Inside are jugs of water and possibly other items needed by immigrants and refugees to cross the unforgiving, beautiful, but also hot and deadly, Texas landscape. Heat stroke and dehydration are some of the biggest causes of death to immigrants, especially during the summer months. When I've stopped to take photos, border patrol is always around the corner.