Artist Stuck In Mexico
by Wendy Edelson

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Hello, my name is Wendy Edelson. First, I’d like to thank Jen Longshaw for this opportunity to share my story and my art with all of you.

I am a self taught illustrator and children’s book illustrator. I paint in watercolors, first doing very detailed pencil drawings and then applying layer after layer of thin glazes of color.

Both my parents were frustrated artists who never gave themselves the chance to pursue their dreams. I began drawing constantly at the age of two and never ever stopped, encouraged at every turn by the best family an artist could ever hope for. I left school at the age of 15, running away from home to New York to pursue my dream of becoming a working artist. I have had a certain amount of success and at the same time I have aspirations for always bigger and better things to come.

Currently my husband and I are living in the mountains of central Mexico. Unfortunately, we came here…running away from things like the death of my young son, rather than choosing Mexico because we loved it. Shortly after our arrival we suffered some severe financial setbacks that left us virtually Stuck In Mexico. Many people believe that Mexico is an inexpensive place to live but here the cost of living is not very different for things like electricity, food, stove gas, internet service etc from those back home in America. Art supplies are nearly unavailable and I must order my paint from the United States! I make enough to support us in a very minimal fashion.

We have not been to a restaurant or a movie in over two years. We haven’t bought an article of clothing or shoes or gotten a haircut. We dearly yearn to return home but cannot seem to ever make enough money to move my art studio or my husband’s music studio (he is a professional jazz drummer back home) back to Washington State where a friend has offered a house to let us stay in. We have sold virtually all our possessions and family heirlooms other than our bed and some pots and pans and dishes and a table. We have a dog and 2 cats.

After working round the clock, 7 days a week and doing our best to make some money to move for over 2 years now and feeling very discouraged…..we just recently heard about a woman who set up a web site to help her pay a $20,000 credit card debt. Not only did people send her enough donations so that she was able to pay off her debt but has written and published a book about the experience that has been translated into 6 languages, has a contract for a new, unrelated book in the works and is writing the screenplay for a film that is to be made about the experience! Talk about making lemonade when life hands you lemons! We figured just maybe, people, other artists, would help us. We’re not asking for a lot from anyone…just a few dollars here or there, the cost of a latte or a movie.

We know we got ourselves into this situation and that many, many people on the planet are in enormously more desperate straits than we are. We also know that once we are home, we will be in a much better position to resume our professions in America and be able to give to those less fortunate than we are.

Please take a moment to view my art on my own website:        http://www.wendyedelson.com

By the way, on my website there are a selection of Ecards of my work that you may send to friends and family, free of charge.

Then, please view our other website Stuck In Mexico:http://www.stuckinmexico.com

Thank you so very much for looking! If you choose to make a donation, we thank you from the bottoms of our hearts. As well, if you tell a friend or two or three about www.StuckInMexico.com we are equally grateful!  

EDITOR'S NOTE: As of May 2006 Wendy and her husband have arriveed back in Seattle thanks to the generosity of people donating through their website.