The Wall at Chez Núñez • The First in a Series

I’ve shared this story on Instagram, and decided I ought to share it again here. Because that’s what blogs are for, no? Sharing stories and giving them a more permanent home than perhaps a fleeting Instagram post might. So here it goes:

Did you know that when I was in high school, my dream job was to become an Anthropologie window display coordinator? Yep. That was the big dream. I actually went into college with a focus on sculpture and installations, and through a series of trying out new media, asking questions, and walking through a lot of a really beautiful open doors (that were mostly miraculous, but also showed up through a lot of hard work and intention), I ended out on the other side of school with a newfound unexpected, obsession for all things two dimensional.

It wasn’t that I had ever lost the love for 3-D - (hello Anthro windows are still my jam) - but my areas of interest just grew and expanded in school in beautiful ways - ways that I never planned for or thought possible. I never had it figured out (I still don’t) but I always kept moving. And through that process of movement - things unfolded, new paths showed up for me to walk down, and my work was able to evolve along the way.

After school, as a result of all this evolution in my interests, I ended up with lots of good directions in which I could choose to express my voice as an artist. I landed in a job that I love as freelance illustrator and designer (a path that I ironically swore I would never touch when I was in high school), a love for painting and fine art (a practice that sounded way too frivolous to pursue seriously, up until I shifted my mindset a year ago), and an excitement about growing a personal brand + a business that has the ability to connect with a community beyond a pretty photo and a cute cation. Welcome to my brain and my plans ha. #allthedreams #allthegoals

So my question as of this year became: How do I tie all of this together? How do I find an expression of my love for these vastly different areas in which I can dedicate my time and attention to on a regular basis? After all, I haven't been painting much for the past year after graduating simply for the fact that I was all booked up with design projects.

And so This Wall here became a thing.

The Wall at Chez Núñez is an idea that I’ve finally set into motion after two years of talking about it to Jesús. This wall that has sat empty and prominent in our home for all this time, will now be a way to scratch that installation/ fine art itch. It’ll hopefully be a way that I can love myself, honor my deeper passions and my big wild art ideas ideas, and a way to have fun amidst my work schedule just for the sake of it. At the bare minimum, it’ll be heck of a fun subject to photograph and use as a backdrop within my home.

Pictured all throughout this post, for now, is the spark of what I’ve deemed an ongoing project called #thewallatcheznúñez. Photos that document both the process and the finished outcome (both are equally as important to me).

May these photos give you a great glimpse into my creative process, and my plans for this project! Thank you for reading, friends!