by J. Peralta

Orange Break 2006, oil, 35 x 26. Private collection.

It is often said that in order to know where you’re going in life, you have to know where you come from. Unfortunately, this lesson is often not learned until we’re older, when maturity finally forces us to recognize those who have shaped our past and helped pave our future. I am thankful that I have had the chance to learn about my heritage—particularly the price my immigrant grandmother paid for my family’s freedom—early in life, while I still have the time to honor it. And I am even more thankful that this revelation came through my art, an instrument that continues to allow me to pay homage to the woman who is so much a part of who I am today.

I was in high school when my grandmother, Anita Peralta, came to live with my family. She was old, very sick, and spoke little English, and yet I was able to connect and communicate with her as I strove to understand her life story. Descended from a Spanish family, my grandmother moved to Mexico when she was a young girl and later migrated to California when she married my grandfather. Embracing her new country, she applied for legal American citizenship so she could find work to provide for her family. On her journey to find a trade, she and my grandfather worked in the fields picking walnuts, fruits, and vegetables. It wasn’t easy work, but because they had no other trained skills and did not speak English, they did it willingly.

Padre 2004, oil, 15 x 11. Private collection.

I, on the other hand, grew up quite differently from my grandmother. Raised in a middle-class family in a predominantly white suburban neighborhood, I spoke English, went to a good public school, and dressed like everyone else. I had all the privileges being an American afforded and never gave much thought to my Spanish-Mexican heritage, mostly because I never had to. As I got older, however, I began to realize that although my ethnicity wasn’t an issue for me, it was for other people. Every now and again I was reminded that I didn’t have the typical “California-girl” look, and I began feeling ashamed of my Spanish-Mexican appearance. I learned the meaning of the word “prejudice,” and it hurt.

Many years later, after training in illustration and working professionally in the field, I decided to become a fine artist. It was a very liberating decision, as I was finally able to paint what I wanted instead of being told what to paint. As I progressed through my fine-art career, I experimented with different subject matter but was unable to find something I was very passionate about—everything left me cold, emotionless, and feeling disconnected to my subject. Then one day, as my husband, artist Morgan Weistling, and I were driving home from a camping trip with our daughter Brittany, we happened upon a scene of itinerant farm workers picking vegetables in the fields. The sun was setting behind them as they worked, and I was awestruck by their endless parade up and down the aisles, carrying loads and loads of bell peppers in their baskets to empty into a big bin. As I stood there watching them, I had a vision of my grandmother as a young woman when she first immigrated here, working in the fields to make what money she could to provide for her family. At that moment I knew what my subject matter would be.

Grandmother's Shawl 2004, oil, 30 x 20. Private collection.

As I began working on various paintings incorporating field workers, noticing their beauty and strength, something was changing in me: the embarrassment I once harbored for my heritage was now being replaced with a newfound respect. I began to realize that being American is not only about being part of a single identity but also about the unique individuals that contribute to that greater whole. I thought about how much courage it must have taken for my grandmother to come here and endure the hardship and struggle she did. My grandmother never gave into feelings of inferiority or prejudice--she knew that other people looked down on her and yet she persisted for the sake of her family. I now realize that without her sacrifice I wouldn’t be who I am today.

Farm Girl 2007, oil, 12 x 16. Private collection.

In many ways I feel I have come full circle: It’s almost as if I had to go into my past to heal the present—and my art was the vehicle that led me there. As I’ve continued to grow as painter, I’ve pursued many aspects of the Hispanic lifestyle and regularly paint Latin subjects: some with varying skin hues, some field workers, some not. As I try to capture my subjects just as they are—with their unique coloring and strong work ethnic—I’m realizing that the beauty these people exude stems from an inner strength and an acceptance of how God made them. Through this journey, I have also learned to accept how God made me.

Jo Ann Peralta is an artist who lives in California with her husband, fellow artist Morgan Weistling, and their two daughters, Brittany and Sienna. She is represented by Trailside Galleries, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. For more information on J. Peralta, visit her website at www.jperalta.com, or e-mail her at believeit@socal.rr.com.

Comments

Excellent article.
This younger generation is missing this very ingredient that pulls together history and family to create memories that produce a new generation of life.

J. Peralta is leaving a true legacy. Her paintings belong in museums for lifetimes to come, as they are truly masterful. They also deserve to be in every home as they teach us to embrace our family's heritage. God bless you!!!

Wow! Nice!
I think everyone has to realize that JoAnn herself has dealt with many hardships that most of us could never endure. On top of being a super Mom, she has succeeded in developing an incredible fine art career.
JoAnn your Grandmother would truly be proud.

JoAnn has an amazing talent that never ceases to amaze me. She will paint a scene or portrait with the same truthfulness of someone like Van Gogh. Her subjects are humble people yet she brings a elegance to them. Being an artist too, it fasinates me to see through her eyes and appreciate things that I would have overlooked. You can see the beauty that is inside her come out in every painting.

This was a wonderful synopsis of the extraordinary history of not only one family, but a whole generation of the Hispanic people that make up America. I appreciate these pictures as they are true reminders of "values" that are "our heritage" and a "work ethic" that will not be passed on, unless we strive to do so.

Thank you for sharing the talent you were given in such a wonderful way.

As the Director of Trailside Galleries in Scottsdale, AZ which represents JoAnn, I found her words to be very thought provoking and so genuine. While I have known JoAnn for some ten years now and have placed her work in wonderful private collections, this article helps me see her paintings in a whole new light. Speaking of which, JoAnn, we need paintings at the gallery!!!!!!!

What a great inspiration JoAnn has chosen for her work. JoAnn's talent brings to life the faces of the would-be doctors, lawyers, business leaders, artists that will never realize their true calling because their circumstances have led them to farm work. JoAnn pays tribute to a very important yet humble group of individuals.

JoAnn's article illustrates what many first generational groups (the Hyphen-American) struggle with: how do we assimilate into a new culture without abandoning our heritage. Our pasts should help shape us and not whittle away who we are due to shame or embarrassment. The past may very well serve to fuel our present passion. JoAnn's work demonstrates that art can be a work of heart.

JoAnn's article reveals sincere honesty and depth of her essence as an artist. She brings respect to a predominant culture of our country and this is very noteworthy.
Hats off and a earnest bow to you Joann!

I really enjoyed this article and it makes me wonder what my true passion is?

Thank you for sharing your story and your passion with us. We all need to reach into the history of our families and appreciate the sacrifices of those who have come before us. We may not be able to express our discoveries in museum quality paintings, but the revelations of the past will still strengthen our souls as we pass down the stories and dreams of our ancestors.

I am so impressed with J. Peralta. I would love to see her do a demonstration for American Artist soon.
Her story and her amazing skill have inspired me to dig into my roots to find my passion for a subject matter. Her work is awesome.

Hi! Peace! I am a physician by profession and an artiat by heart. Though I am into acrylics,I am a great fan of that artistic genius Morgan Weistling...didnt know his wife is just as great! Hats off to you Morgan and Jo Ann..Hope you guys can come up w/a book w/c I can add to my art book collection here in the Philippines! I just love the way you guys come up w/ such hues that make the viewer experience the atmosphere pervading every art piece..Love you guys!!! I can sort of identify w/Jo ann since we were under Spain for 400 years before the Americans took over. Prejudice is not something new to us since a great number of our ancestors were also migrants to the New World.The great illustrator Norman Rockwell inspired me when I was in high school and i thought, he was more than "just" an illustrator!
More power to you Morgan and Jo Ann! May you continue to inspire others through your God-given gifts!
-dan lerma