Imagination Gone Wild

Heaven Is Sweet

Chicano's favorite hot sauce : Tapatio

Salsa Picante: Tapatio by (me)Nathalie T. Ramirez
(16x20 in.) Acrylic on canvas

I had an on-and-off battle with this painting ; deciding whether it should appear like a cartoon or the way it is, working on every little detail and if there should be a background or not. First of all, I wanted the bottle to be the center focus, so why not go with a white background. I really wanted to challenge myself and improve on my artistic ability, so I went for "still life".

"Hey look at this. Tapatio!"
This painting gets a reaction out of anybody. People point or ,for some reason, yell out Tapatio!. Many that have encountered the painting are Hispanic and in Chicano culture, Tapatio is most recognized because of its use in Mexican restaurants and households. Calling out the bottle isn't the only reaction from people, they also become hungry. I sometimes hear " Tapatio with (insert food) sounds good right now" after they take a look at the painting. This in fact makes me glad that it gets a reaction and people can connect to my painting.
                         As a daily Tapatio consumer, I too can't help but look at it.
" Los gueros tienen Cambell's Soup(painting) , so why not Hispanics have el Tapatio?"