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MEET CARLA

I am an artist, activist, educator, and mama.

I love to paint, print, and photograph. While exploring themes related to nature, color, and texture, I find peace and connection as I create. My art fuels my activism and my love of community.

I grew up in Chile, Mexico and Texas, and I love learning about my family's Mexican roots. I live with my partner, Jesse, and our two kids in Oakland, California. I have a Masters of Education degree and 13 years of experience teaching and facilitating workshops.

I would love to connect with you, so feel free to reach out!

No matter where you come from,
your people were connected to the land.
Perhaps they still are.

My art allows me to notice nature around me in new ways. I see the veins of a leaf on the sidewalk and know those tiny details will make a beautiful print. Flower petals in a garden transform into designs swirling in my head. I am grateful to be able to make creations that keep me connected to the land around me, which is unceded Ohlone land. If you would like to learn about whose land you live on, click here.

Gratitude for Plants

Plants are alive. When we use them for our nourishment, our enjoyment or our art, we must thank them. To learn more about honorable harvesting, click here.

  • Botanical prints are done by painting leaves, ferns, fruits and vegetables and stamping onto fabric or paper

  • Custom stamps are hand-carved on linoleum

  • Clothing items are gently used in order to minimize carbon footprint

  • Items can be washed and dried, but line drying will make the item last longer and is better for our planet!

ABOUT ARTE NOPAL PRODUCTS

UPCYCLING


"...to recycle something in such a way that the resulting product is of a higher value than the original item : to create an object of greater value from a discarded object of lesser value"
"Nearly 85 percent of us dispose of clothing in the same trash where we dump our kitchen scraps, amounting to a staggering 13 million tons of textiles per year, which is an average of over 70 pounds per person. We’re talking roughly 100 garments per year that sit in landfills waiting to decompose for as long as 200 years.”

THE BENEFITS OF UPCYCLING

Reduce what goes into landfills
We’ve become so used to things being mass manufactured and made in a heartbeat that we buy things as quickly as we throw things away

Minimize use of natural resources
Upcycling existing resources means that we don’t have to use new raw materials in the production process. Did you know that it takes about 500 gallons of water to produce the cotton needed to make a single t-shirt?

Celebrate artisanal work 
Behind every upcycled product, there is a maker who believes in their craft 

Reduce manufacturing costs
If designers make items from reclaimed materials, this can drastically reduce their manufacturing costs

Do your bit for Mother Nature
Nothing beats that warm and fuzzy feeling you get inside when you’ve done something great for the planet

Develop crafty repair skills
Repairing an item and giving it a new life is a great skill

Enjoy one-of-a-kind items
Whether you’re upcycling things yourself or buying products from designers, it’s always nice to know that you have something that is completely unique

GIVING BACK

15% of all Arte Nopal proceeds go to local and national organizations committed to climate justice, including:

Let’s connect!

I would love to hear from you about how we can work together, about workshop inquiries, commissioned artwork, or other ideas you have in mind. Just hit send!

carla.hinojosa@gmail.com