Blankets are something we use to keep us warm. We use them to keep us safe, to warm our children, to bury our loved ones. We use them to play, to make tents, and for aesthetic purposes. Blankets are full of stories, history, secrets and special moments. Sharing a blanket is sharing intimacy. My work is about the narrative of that connection. Some recent work is based on imaginary characters the represent real situations through fantastical characters that were created from automatic painting. The Rainbow Man character arrived from a love for blankets and textiles. The colorful Otomi animal patterns filled past textile based paintings and now have taken on a life of their own. The history of this textile known as Tenango. The textiles are said to be referenced from cliff paintings in the Tepehua-Otomi mountains. The symbols and patterns can be traced back to prehistoric roots. Animals are thought to bear important news, four and eight pointed stars represent cardinal direction and other symbols may reference fertility, nature and spirits. I, in turn am doing a similar thing by employing symbols within my work referencing my ancient past in contemporary paintings. I employ different mediums such as oil paint, encaustic wax, acrylic, varnish, graphite, pencil, oil pastel and chalk pastel on paper and canvas as well as yarn, string and found objects. I have a deep interest in cultures and textiles. I am specifically interested in Latin American textiles and symbolism. These colors and patterns are embodied in my paintings. BLANKETISM is a term coined for the contemporary art movement that incorporates blanket imagery and themes as metaphors for social anonymity and expression, for tapestry as metacultural element, and as an integral component in iconic art history.