Consider this my official Happy Birthday post to the brilliant woman who has been a source of inspiration my entire life. I was about 5 or 6 years old when my mother took me to the Museum of Modern Art to experience the worlds of surrealism and cubism in all their glory. I distinctly remember not being able to take my eyes off of Frida’s portraits. Who is she? Why does she look so sad? Why is she dressed that way? Her work was embedded into my young, impressionable mind and must’ve lived in me subconsciously, as my own work resembled much of her style no matter how many “old masters” painting classes I took.

I’ve said this before, but it was always my dream to go to Mexico, visit