About Gina
True to folk art tradition, I do not have formal artistic training. In college and graduate school, I studied philosophy and anthropology. I have worked as a telegram singer, a waitress, a cook, a firefighter/EMT, a wild land firefighter, a skeletal analyst, a death investigator, a forensic anthropologist, a baby sitter, a personal trainer, most recently a floorcloth artist, and most importantly a mommy. Needless to say, I have gathered little moss. Through it all, a few things have been consistent.
I have been lucky enough to have an extremely supportive, loving, and handsome (OK, it’s shallow, but it doesn’t hurt) husband. I have always loved riding bikes and try to incorporate cycling into my daily life as much as possible. And I have always had fun drawing and painting.
Much to my parents’ chagrin, I regularly drew on my clothes, discovering early on that for long lasting designs, ballpoint is the way to go on denim. In college, I started buying old wooden furniture at yard sales and auctions and painting it with my whimsical designs. This was when it was first suggested that I should try selling my work, which I never did. After all, it was only my mom, and my mother-in-law, and my husband, and several friends—what did they know?
I went on to grad school and work and life. During this time, I had two children, became a stay-at-home mommy, and started doing storytime at a local bookstore. I bought a large canvas tarp to use for crafts during storytime. To make it more fun for the children, I painted storybook characters on it. Parents started asking me about painting murals for their homes. The bookstore manager asked me to paint windows for the store. I told my godmother about the tarp, and she suggested that I try painting floorcloths. I had never heard of floorcloths before, but I was instantly intrigued. I started researching and experimenting. Over the past three years, I developed a method that consistently produces durable, colorful, and fun floorcloths that lie flat.
I like the idea of art for the floor—art you can walk on. It’s a little unusual and a little irreverent. It is fun watching people’s expressions when they discover they can walk on the art. My main inspirations are Mexican folk art, vintage fabric and dishes, nature, old style tile flooring, and children’s literature. While I prefer vibrant colors and bold whimsical designs, I love the challenges associated with more traditional designs as well.
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