Words by Tom Price

Llecenia Almanza finds inspiration in everything. Her paintings are born from old family photos and closed down department stores. She is moved to paint by the look in her childrens’ eyes and the dark figure of Medusa.

From as far back as she can remember, art has been a healthy outlet for her. Nowadays, the 34-year-old mother of three finds herself painting in a quiet home with her kids long tucked away in the middle of the night. Her husband works nights and she takes that time to explore her creative side.

“I’m very fortunate to have a husband who encourages me to have that side,” says Almanza, who is a teacher’s aid during the day at Hopeton School. “Art is my first love and he pushed me to continue.“

Her paintings are deep and rich in color and some even appear as clear as photographs. Almanza says that at a Downtown Merced Art Hop last year she had to swat hands away from a fresh painting of her son. The paint still moist, people were poking trying to determine if the image before them came from a paint brush or camera.

Wowing the crowds at the Art Hop has only fueled her fire. The first Art Hop was her first real chance to show her work. More than a year later and four Art Hops under her belt she still gets nervous.

“It forces me to actually work hard and to see what I can do,” says Almanza, who likes to mix up her subjects and even her styles. “I just don’t want to keep doing the same old thing.”

Ironically, perhaps her oldest painting is the one that still gets the most attention. She says she started the Medusa painting almost 10 years ago. It’s the type of project that is never finished.

“It’s not completely done, it never is,” says Almanza. “Through the years I’m always adding to it.”

The painting, in its current form, is on all the posters for the next Art Hop on Jan. 23, where Almanza will unveil her next series of paintings.
She hints that there might be something different added to her portfolio.
“We will just see what I come up with,” she says.

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