Life & Work with Alejandra Trujillo of Westside Tucson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alejandra Trujillo.

Hi Alejandra, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in Nogales Sonora, Mexico, a beautiful, colorful, vivid Bordertown. I am the youngest of three children, with a large gap between our ages. I come from a huge Mexican family; my mother is one of 12, and my father is one of eight, so there are many aunts and uncles and too many cousins to count. My maternal grandparents and some of my aunts and uncles ran several Curios, curiosity shops that were very lucrative in the 1980s. Much of the art sold at their shop was handmade and hand-painted by my grandparents, with the family’s help. I would spend countless hours at the Curios and most definitely get into some painting or creative endeavor; it was a tiny artist, Wonderland. I had many opportunities to watch my uncles paint Sonoran sunsets and desert landscapes on hundreds of plates and cow skulls, watching closely every stroke and every color they used. When I was in third grade, my parents immigrated to the United States. My parents bought some land and built a home in Rio Rico, Arizona. We lived on a 40-acre ranch with emu, pheasants, chickens, ducks, horses, and many other animals that were my best friends since I was the only sibling left at my parent’s house. That left me an incredible amount of time to entertain myself with my greatest passion, art. My parents have always been my most incredible supporters. They have always gone out of their way to involve me in any art-related activity I wanted, even buying me endless art supplies that were always used up way too quickly. After graduating high school, there was no question about what I would do for my future. 2007, I moved to Tucson to attend Pima Community College for an art degree. That is where I met my husband. 15 years later, we have three beautiful children who I homeschool. We now live in a home on the western side of Tucson with our rabbits, chickens, and pups.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve been fortunate to have a supportive family and abundant opportunity with art. This does not mean I haven’t had my fair share of obstacles and challenges. My biggest one hasn’t been language since I am a native Spanish speaker. I’ve learned to laugh at myself for all of my Spanglish. Another big, more emotional challenge was the passing of my grandfather and the other artists in my family, leaving me as the last one. Although I carry them in my heart whenever I paint, there is still so much more I would have wanted to ask. Lastly, being a homesteading, homeschooling mom of three and owning an art business is the most ongoing challenge.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a multimedia artist with a wide range of materials I like working with. I work with sculpture, acrylics, oil, pastels, ink, carving, and my favorite aerosol. When I discovered painting with aerosol, I fell in love. My work has grown immensely since. I’m most known for my murals around Southern Arizona, which, at this point, I think, add up to 80+. What I am most proud of as an artist is that I do most, if not all, of my art, even murals and art in public spaces with my three kids in tow. I like creating lessons for my children at the places where I’m painting, whether it’s history, art, videography, or anything educational. This also sets me apart because I have yet to see another muralist creating huge murals with three little ones, showing the next generation how it’s done.

Before we go, can you talk to us about how people can work, collaborate, or support you?
Anyone can work with me by contacting me via Instagram or text. I like collaborating with art organizations and small businesses to bring more art around our community. You can always support me by recommending or liking my previous works.

Pricing:

• My pricing is specific to what job I’m completing since I like creating original one-of-a-kind for each of my clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: atrujillo-art.com
• Instagram: @atrujillo_art
• Other: @alejandra_trujilloart on tiktok

Image Credits
Most of these were taken by my Media Manager, my 12 year old daughter Alicea Trujillo.