Meet Ines Alvidres | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ines Alvidres and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ines, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born in the land of the “inexhaustible runners,” the Tarahumaras, in northern Mexico. I remember seeing them for the first time as a child in the markets of downtown Chihuahua and immediately felt a connection.

Eventually, I would learn that it was more than the brightly-colored attire that drew her to them. Since these runners are known as some of the best long-distance runners in the world, they are envied for their endurance and perseverance. They would serve to as a valuable lesson about life and my career as an artist.

My upbringing was a humble one surrounded by community, friendships, and education. My family and I are very close, and our relationships are full of love and memories.

My father taught me what hard work and dedication are. He started a business from nothing and showed me what it is to be resourceful while on the path of achieving your dreams.

My mother was another great example of being resilient. She stayed home to take care of my three brothers, sister, and me, and she started making menudo to sell every Saturday to help with the household expenses.

She became so well-known for her delicious soup that 20 years later our neighbors from Mexico still talk about it. I remember walking to school at a young age. My mother walked with me until I was old enough to go alone when the journey became my own.

The distances varied; the backpacks got heavier, but the weather never changed. It was always extreme, either too hot or too cold.

I was developing an endurance that was preparing me to tackle future challenges with a positive perspective.

In 2014 when I decided to become an artist, I asked myself, “Are you willing to do this or not?” Either answer was fine, but saying yes meant hard work and challenges.

I felt that I had a solid foundation to follow my dreams, so I said yes.

When I decided to do more research on The Tarahumaras, I found that they are so much more than just the colorful impression I had of them as a child. They are mainly known for their endurance and perseverance. Then I understood why I was drawn to them on a deeper level.

Growing up, we do not realize what is preparing us for the next stages of our life. When I look back on the challenges, experiences, and connections, these impactful moments inspire me to share the power of art anywhere life takes me.
 

Please tell us more about your art. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally? Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way? What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Since the beginning, the main ingredients for my artwork have been the variety and combination of bright colors that I use in my paintings. I always trusted that my artwork and I were going to evolve with the years and with experience. My inspiration mainly comes from my surroundings especially nature. The best part of being an artist, I believe, is the fact that there are no limits. I can be creating a series of birds and flowers, but there will be a need to use my leftover paint on my brush to create a new raw and abstract piece. At the beginning of my career, a friend and I were looking at a piece of artwork at a museum, and he asked what I thought about a specific piece. Before I could answer the question, he said, “I don’t want you to tell me if you like it or not, but what emotion does it make you feel?” After that experience, everything changed. Every time I saw a painting, a sculpture or even listened to a song, it was never about what I thought, but how it made me feel. I also started to create with the same intention. My hope is that I can create a positive emotion in you. Any time someone asks me what kind of artwork I create, my answer is the same – I create friendly abstract straight from the heart, always with a hope to put a smile on your face. It might be a bit cheesy, but I mean it.

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.

Amarte Art Studio is what I decided to name my studio. AMA means to love in Spanish, and ARTE is art in English. AMARTE is a play on words that together means to love art but also and most important to love yourself. For those that work from home and wish for a studio space, don’t worry. I experienced a great art studio in a fabulous art deco building, and now I’m working from a humble small space in my home. To be real and honest, it’s the same. The work is not better or worse. I don’t produce more or less. You are the one that makes the art, not your circumstances.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am a simple girl. I am happy if I have yoga, food and art. So my day would start with a yoga class. Then I would go to the Rao’s Bakery and order a delicious cup of tea and breakfast wrap and sit in their patio where you can enjoy the mixture of Italian music and birds singing. Next I would walk around Cattail Marsh Wet Lands and enjoy being surrounded by nature. The most interesting people go there. Who am I kidding? I also need to dance in my life, there is always a place to salsa around here to dance the night away. If you want a peaceful day in Beaumont Texas, the first stop is Southeast Texas Art Museum, also you have The McFaddin-Ward House to sit in their beautiful porch or their rose garden to breathe and take some time for yourself to reflect. A tour around town to see all the murals is always fun and please go and have dinner at J Wilson’s delicious food, always fun people at the bar and all the art on display is from your friend Ines Alvidres.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, the unconditional love and help from my family. They never put any expectations on me or cared if I got paint on their dining tables or living room floors while growing up. They support me in their own way. They are always there for me. The community I found in Beaumont. It is what I like to call a small town full of quality people. All my teachers that I have had from the beginning saw my passion for art and have shown their belief in me by challenging me to create projects bigger than me. Now the city of Beaumont has done the same by trusting me with projects that are making people more aware of art. Organizations that have opened their doors to me are the Southeast Texas Art Museum, The Art Studio Inc., the Beaumont Art League and as well as many other Beaumont establishments. None of what I have done would be possible without the help of my closest friends like Homer Pillsbury and Kassie Huff. They have carried artwork, held ladders, helped me write articles and also told me that – yes you can! They see a strength that sometimes it hard to see but their support is one of the reasons I keep on going. Thank you as well because like this allow me to share and hopefully reach and connect with other creatives minds.

Website: www.amarteartstudio.com

Instagram: @inesalvidres.art

Facebook: Ines Alvidres

Image Credits
cover photo credit Albert Barber @visibleinlight