by Elvira Diaz-Ocampo...

I am a self-taught artist/bi-lingual writer/poet originally from Laredo,
Texas.  I have been a featured artist at Talento Bilinque de Houston for Dia de Los Muertos installations for the years 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Some of the mediums I have worked with include making jewelry with bottle caps and resin, Art Clay jewelry, and jewelry using soda cans.  I make minuature Altars with matchboxes.  I also make cigar box jewelry boxes and cigar box dia de los muertos altares, papel picado, paper mache eskeletos, sugar skulls, and purses using recycled jeans and bottle caps/soda tabs.

I am inspired by my children, Daniel, Jennifer, Sarah and Stephanie;
Frida Kalho's art, and Tetecala Morelos, a rural town in Mexico
which I visited for 20 years.

I love to create things.  Keeping our Mexican traditions alive is very
important to me.  I try to do this through my work.  One of my dreams
is to one day move to Mexico for a year to learn artesanias.  Another
dream is to publish a novel.

Accomplishments

♦  First place winner of the 1999 Johnnie Harris Writing Award
in fiction for short story, "El Norte."

♦  Poem "Frida," published in 2003 San Jacinto College Lean
Seed Magazine.

♦  Costume research/constume assistant in 2003 production of "Satyr 1100," a Greek play written by Carlos Diaz.

♦  Assistant Director in 2004 production of "Nuestras Vidas," a play written by Manuel Nava Leal, which included her poem,
"My Time," as the opening poem.

♦  Dia de Los Muertos" altar installation at Talento Bilinque de
Houston in November 2005.

♦  Feature artist for the "First Saturday in the Heights" in April
2006 at the Artful Corner, a gallery in the Heights for her
character cascarones.

♦  Feature artist for "Dia de Los Muertos" at Talento Bilinque de Houston with installation dedicated to Frida Kahlo in
Novenber 2006.

♦  Feature artist for "Dia de Los Muertos" at Talento Bilinque de Houston with installation "Escucha Mi Voz" dedicated to "Those who've died trying to cross the border" in Novenber 2007.

♦  Feature artist for "Dia de Los Muertos" at Talento Bilinque de Houston  in November 2008.

♦  Feature artist for "Dia de Los Muertos" at Talento Bilinque de Houston with installation "La Tumba Azul" dedicated to "Mujeres de Corazon" in November 2009.

♦  HWIL Winner of the 100 Hispanic Women in Leadership award 2010.