Artistic Synergy - A Rich Dialogue

For the last several years, the difference between Amy’s art and mine has been nothing short of stark. My wife´s work celebrates enchantment, natural connection, and storytelling, capturing the magic of life in bright colors and symbolism. My art embraces the spectral inevitability of death, portraying it as a journey and reminder of ultimate transformation.

Together, our styles create a rich dialogue: her vibrant, dreamlike imagery invites wonder and warmth, while my skeletal motifs—rooted in Oaxaca’s Día de Muertos traditions and European vanitas art—are a haunting meditation on mortality. The balance of light and shadow, joy, reverence and sense of fate, gives our studio, called Dos Venados, a unique and deeply meaningful identity. Our art isn’t just about individual expression—it’s a shared narrative of transformation, memory, and the cyclical nature of existence.

Serenata de Sirena, acrylic on canvas, 70x80 cm

Amy’s painting, Serenata de Sirena, exudes a dreamlike, mythical serenity, blending elements of folklore and nature with a vibrant energy. The central figure—a mermaid with flowing hair, plays a quinto, an instrument with five strings. The Sirena´s face is serene and immersed in her song. Two mer-children engage with the music, one holds a shell, the other blows into a conch, creating a harmonious, magical moment.

The ocean swirls with rich blues and greens, teeming with life: a dolphin leaps in the background, dragonflies hover, and a turtle peeks from the foamy waves. The sunset sky, painted in warm hues of orange, pink, and yellow, adds to the magical atmosphere, while a crescent moon and scattered golden stars evoke a sense of celestial wonder.

The mood is one of enchantment, connection, and story—music binding nature and spirit together in a watery reverie. It feels celebratory and peaceful, evoking themes of feminine strength, tradition⏤the beauty and magic of the sea.

Going Home, oil on canvas, 100 x 120 cm

My painting, carries a somber yet poetic atmosphere, evoking themes of passage, farewell, and the unknown journey beyond life. A skeletal figure cloaked in black—an embodiment of death—rows a wooden boat across a tranquil body of water under a luminous crescent moon. A coffin adorned with vibrant flowers rests in the boat, suggesting reverence for the departed.

Beside the coffin, a Xoloitzcuintli dog, (like our MaliNalli), sits attentively, its posture noble and watchful. In Mexican tradition, Xolos are spirit guides, believed to help souls navigate the afterlife. The water reflects the moon’s eerie glow, and the surrounding landscape, dark yet serene, frames the boat’s silent voyage.

The mood is haunting and peaceful, a balance between sorrow and acceptance. A timeless ritual of transition, where death is not an end but a passage to another realm.

MaliNalli