Spanglish Chick

I can picture her out on the streets…alone…with her paint. It’s better that way sometimes….no one to bother or distract. This native Eastsider has talent that just won’t quit as she mixes it up and freely speaks her mind. Her voluptuous, strong doll-like characters, Sand Chikz can be found anywhere this graffiti artist Sand One wants to paint. This nineteen year old hustler comes from the laid back barrios of  Los Angeles—east that is. And has had time to run through the streets of Miami and Puerto Rico – creating her unique masterpieces, but this is only the beginning.
What is your real name? Maria de la Concha Chaves
What is your hometown? East Los Angeles, California

Age? 19 [she stands to have many opportunities in front of her...how awesome]

Did you go through art training or are you self taught? Street taught

Where can the public purchase your merchandise/art? City West Boutique or the Garage
What was your inspiration to do what you do? The freedom of making anything…a piece of canvas, a wall or even a truck…anything can be a surface to paint on.
What is your favorite childhood memory? My mother adding chunks of mascara to her eyelashes and me telling her it looked like spider legs now I exaggerate my eyelashes and I paint huge overlapping lashes on my cartoons

How do you describe your artwork? Ghetto hardcore, Sand Chikz, ‘Anything you can do I can do better, or ‘It’s a man’s world and I’m in it!’
Can people find you on the net? Where? sandoner.com

Where do you see yourself going in the future with your artwork? I hope I get financial stability but I m not sure what awaits…I’m not sure what I’m doing tomorrow.

How did you get the name “Sand”? I just liked it. It’s smooth…it’s me, now when you hear Sand, Sand is me.
Is it any different being a female artist verses a male artist? It is scarce… there are not many females. It is only a few.
What is your personal history? I was born in East Los Angeles…I love pupusas and I paint Sand Chikz all day. I don’t smoke, drink, or party… I just paint and I love Thai food! Pad that shrimp!! And I enjoy being a loaner.

What is your favorite type of music? Jose Jose/ Emmanuel/Sublime /Ana Gabriel/Gangstarr/Biggie/Ghetto Boyz/Mos Def/the Grouch [can anyone really pick one?]
Any suggestions for future artists? Just paint but don’t call it abstract because you can’t paint…look at other art and follow the art you feel is right. Don’t listen to people, because at the beginning, they will always doubt of your success until proven wrong.

What are your favorite surfaces to paint on? Walls, trucks, smooth dumpsters, leather purses, U-hauls, metal abandoned buildings … [I think the list goes on]

What is your life motto? ‘Go big or go home’ along with ‘Get it while the game is big!’

Definitely check online www.sandoner.com though if you find yourself in East LA then take a look around the Sand Chikz can’t be missed.

Popularity: 40% [?]

It was a couple of weeks before I had to go back to work and I had my woes about life.  I had just broke up with my idiot boyfriend and I was in the midst of production of an awesome dance show at this independent theatre plus I had had a car wreck where the insurance company decided to investigate.  I was letting it all out to my High School friend…. “I feel like I need a vacation…I’m gonna need some time to replenish before going back to deal with a bunch of high schoolers.”

My friend Lara said, “Well meet me in Belize –I’ve rented a cottage on the beach down there so all you have to take care of is your airplane ticket.”

I was stunned, “Really, don’t tease me…where exactly?”

“Placencia”

Even the name of the place sounded stress free to me. And we would be on the beach – I was so in.

We spent the next couple of weeks preparing for the trip.  She lived in Oklahoma City so she sent me links via Facebook about the place we would stay, tours we could take, and the how to get there from Houston.

She got there a couple of days ahead of me so my family was worried about me traveling alone.  I had to admit the passport check lines were long and I had never been in a small airplane before so I don’t know if I was more excited or nervous, but finally I made it to the cottage where it was cocktail hour. The water was so blue it would sparkle and the tides seem to strip all of my tension away.   I would be there for a week.

We stayed in Colbri House…it had an upstairs and downstairs rental but along the beach there were other rental cottages, guesthouses, and a few hotels……. yet it did not seem crowded as we made the local scene at the restaurants and bars.

On different days we went shopping….they had talented local artists that worked in all sorts of mediums from carving on coconuts to paintings on canvases. I admit I ended up buying a few things for myself.

The local markets, which there were only three we went to, could not be compared to a HEB but they carried this hot habanero pepper sauce, Marie Sharp that Lara introduced me to.  This spicy, delectable sauce seemed to go with everything.  It only seemed wise thing to do to bring some home.

Children on the island would come sell us pastries on different days which would go great in the morning with coffee or tea.

One day we went on a snorkeling tour off another small island……it was my first time. We had guides along our side as we swam around the island viewing the beautiful coral reefs, many varieties of tropical fish, and poisonous jellyfish. Everyone was hoping to see a stingray. It took my breath away as I snapped pictures trying to keep my equilibrium. The tour provided lunch on the island…..chicken and dirty rice. Yum.

At our place Lara had rented the downstairs which when you walked out the front door there was a hammock that just enticed you to lie in it for hours as you read or napped. I personally would get in it at the end of the night….the wind blowing through the palm trees…the tides rolling in….I would stare up at the stars looking up at the universe.   I could have stayed for there forever.

Now whenever I am having a bad day or stress seems to be taking over I just sit back and think about those days in Placenica….it makes me smile knowing I am planning a trip for the near future.

If you want to plan a trip then check out this website http://www.placencia.com/

Popularity: 33% [?]