By Ragini Kathail

Town Crier Editorial Intern

Fine Arts

A native of Peru and Los Altos resident, Isabel Brown’s heritage and childhood memories give her the inspiration to create enchanting paintings and poetry. Although she was born in South America, she moved to the Bay Area when she was 18 in order to earn a degree in art from San Jose State University.

Brown, who has an exhibit at the Gallery House in Palo Alto through July 28, remembers her childhood through the color turquoise. This was the color of her mother’s room. Since it is also the color of the ocean, she said it symbolizes her love of nature as well. Brown prefers to paint with her hands, “feeling the paint, scratching the canvas, and recording [her] marks.” Along with painting, she reads and writes her own poetry in both English and Spanish.

Brown’s works also are being exhibited at the Museum of Northern Arizona in a display titled, “From Peru to Flagstaff: Memories, Migration and Regeneration.” Her daughter, Monica, a professor at Northern Arizona University, teamed up with Brown in May to present their multigenerational stories, poetry and paintings from South America.

This exhibit was particularly enjoyable for Brown because she had the opportunity to collaborate with her daughter and share her own experiences from Peru. Eleven of her paintings will remain on display until September.

Brown’s other current solo exhibition at the Gallery House in Palo Alto is titled, “Place of Belonging: Roots, Wounds and Nests.” This display expresses memories of her childhood home and her preparation for a new life and home.

Gallery House has no admission charge. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. For more information, call 325-1668.