I spent a week in Panama City in April 2026. What a cool experience! There is a language school where I attended Spanish classes everyday. When not in class or studying at the delightful cafes in Casco Viejo, I explored the city and also went on a monkey-spotting trip to Lake Gatun. However, one of my favorite aspects of the Panamanian culture is mola textiles. There is a wonderful museum in the city: I would go in, read and learn, and sketch. My sketches were later incorporated into 3 of my latest Healing Gardens paintings.
Mola textiles are a traditional form of handmade fabric art created by the Guna people. They are made using a reverse appliqué technique, where multiple layers of colored cloth are cut and sewn to form intricate designs. Molas are typically used as panels in women’s blouses and often depict cultural symbols, animals, or everyday life.
Mola textiles are a traditional form of handmade fabric art created by the Guna people. They are made using a reverse appliqué technique, where multiple layers of colored cloth are cut and sewn to form intricate designs. Molas are typically used as panels in women’s blouses and often depict cultural symbols, animals, or everyday life.
 |  |
For the inspiration for my Healing Garden series, I take photos of flowers wherever I travel. I took the photographs below in Casco Viejo and enjoyed them for a variety of reasons. They showcase species of plants I have not been familiar with before. They have beautiful colors and shapes and textures. And the compositions of the photos lend themselves easily to dynamic paintings. And of course, they are memories of my lovely travel adventures.
 |  |  |
Once I had my inspiration photos, I went ahead with pencil sketches. These three Healing Gardens started as pencil on Yupo. Slowly, I added a layer in acrylic pens of different finishes (mat and metallic) and thicknesses. I love how portable this process is: I can paint on the airplane, at cafes, on park benches. How delightful!
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
And here we go! I hope these works honor Panama as a beautiful country with rich cultural traditions. My artworks reflect the three inspiration photos and each work incorporates some (or a combination of) my sketches from the Mola Museum. You are welcome to check out the final works HERE. Enjoy!
 Healing Garden #86 |  Healing Garden #87 |  Healing Garden #88 |