Her friend went around the whole place crying and when she took her home,
the woman went to her basement, grabbed her paints, and began painting
again. She said she wanted to tell me how much joy my work had given her.
That’s what I consider success as an artist — to be able to connect with all
sorts of people.
M.J.: That’s wonderful.
Arreguin: Art is powerful. When I was first starting out we were so poor. We
had no money for rent and we were becoming desperate. Then, one day there
was a knock at the door. A woman was standing there and she said, “My name
is Charlene and I’m here to buy myself a painting because it’s my birthday.”
The minute she walked in she pointed at one of my canvases and said, “I want
that one right there.” Well, I hadn’t finished that one and told her this, but she
countered with, “I’m going to put it in my truck and I’ll write you a check.”
May | June 2020
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