She who wears Bells on her Cheeks
Mark Vallen 1993
Chalk pastel on paper. 2 1/2 x 5 1/2

Artist's statement: "This life-sized portrait was created using chalk pastel on a single sheet of paper. I first created a very light preliminary sketch directly on the paper with a soft pencil. That sketch was then sprayed with a fixative before proceeding with the color drawing. I then worked up the outlines and details monochromatically using various browns.

Finally I blocked in the main colors. At that point it was a matter of finessing the work, paying attention to color, hues and sharpness of details. I used nothing but soft Sennelier chalk pastel in creating my drawing. For the finer details I would sharpen the chalk stick to a point or fine edge. On occasion I would blend areas with a small rag. After each work session the drawing was sprayed with a workable fixative."

This artwork also appeared as the cover illustration for Milagros Peña's 2007 book, Latina Activists across Borders: Women's Grassroots Organizing in Mexico and Texas.