Local West Seattle artist Monica Rodriguez Pieratt has created a new collection that proves you really can make something out of nothing, or at least out of things you find around the house.

Pieratt’s latest work, titled "El Emmascarado," is a series of paper mosaics created entirely from materials she found in her home. The exhibit captures the expressive nature of her Mexican culture while conserving materials in her strong desire to recycle.

Pieratt was born in Mazatlan, Mexico but has been a West Seattle resident for the past three years. After earning a degree in Illustration from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., she spent years doing commercial artwork.

But for the past two years, Pieratt has been working eclusively on fine art mosaics.

She describes her latest collection as “very experimental,” using colored paper on both canvas and three-dimensional objects.

But for Pieratt the most important factor in her work was that she include aspects of her heritage in each piece. As a result the work highlights the fun, curious side of Mexican culture. 

“My other work commercial art was all related to what someone needed, when I decided to do my own work I really wanted to do something that I was strongly connected to do,” says Pieratt.

The collection references “fiestas, family, food, music and the colorful decorations that they have all year round,” says Pieratt.

In this collection, the artist also wanted to make use of things she already had. As a result, she didn’t have to purchase any new materials, instead using boxes of scrap paper she had collected through years of teaching.

“The idea is that you can take anything you have available to you and make something creative,” says Pieratt. “It’s not the tools you have it’s what you do with them.”

“El Emmascarado” will be on display at the See Sound Lounge at 115 Blanchard St. on March 13, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. There is no charge to view the exhibit, and Pieratt hopes this will help more people enjoy it.    

“I would like people to smile,” says Pierratt. “I really think that we are in a time that we need to have fun and enjoy art and the beauty of it.”