Welcome to Earth Snake Art! In case you are wondering what this is all about, I wanted to just take a moment to lay out what Earth Snake Art is. Earth Snake is a re-branding of my artwork. Who am I? My name is Bess De La Cruz. Or at least for now it is. Or it's Yontz. I don't really know anymore. (Any other ladies out there been in that sort of weird limbo situation that you never thought would happen?). But anyways, due to this restart of my life after an event I had no choice in, I decided a fresh start for myself and my artwork was important.
I have a Bachelor's in Illustration and Masters in Education. I'd been trying for years to have my artwork out there and really doing something. However, no matter what I tried, I never really had a clear drive or vision for my work. And each time I would start, I would just sort of sputter out. Then all the self-negativity would flood in and the vicious cycle would just restart again and again. (Ever been there too?)
When I switched from years as a marketing and design coordinator to teaching elementary art, I at first thought, "well, I failed to make my art real". However, after my first year or so of teaching, I realized I couldn't be more wrong. I learned far more teaching art than I ever had making art. Now, after teaching over five years and seeing my students discover something each day that I remember fondly learning from my creative childhood or that I had wished I had learned at their age, I realize it's exactly where I need to be.
Enter Earth Snake. I happen to be a year of the snake in the Chinese zodiac. More specifically, I learned that I happen to be an earth snake within the Chinese zodiac. I had also always grown up with the sort of common symbolism here in the U.S. that snakes = bad, devil, evil, sin, etc. Yet, in many other cultures, the snake has many ties to femininity, strength, rebirth, creativity, transformation, healing and more. So, I decided to take back this symbol of the snake for myself, the good...and the bad. Accepting both about myself. Rather than dismissing myself. And after being in a situation for the last several years with a few individuals who frequently had negative views on what it means to be a woman, I decided, that's enough. And so, here is Earth Snake Art. My hope is that you'll find something here that reminds you of your own strength, fire, and fight in this life. To bare your fangs and remember that people, relationships, and life is worth fighting for with love, patience, understanding, and time.
So maybe you'll find a small reminder here in an illustration, a wood burning, or a clay object. Or maybe in an art education box that feeds not only your busy hands and mind, but soul as well. And if you cant find it here, I hope you keep fighting for it and searching. Illustrations and products will be coming to this site a little bit at a time. In the meantime, thanks for being here and welcome to Earth Snake Art.
