An artist rarely needs much more than color to form an expression. Elena Osterwalder, of Columbus, began her career focusing on figures, but eventually realized what she needed was much simpler than that.

“Basically you either are a still-life, landscape, figure artist, or something along those lines and the color will appear eventually. As I developed, though, the color became so much more intense and I just let it take over,” she said.

In doing so, Osterwalder – who has been showing her work in Ohio since 1978 – began using “Earth-friendly” organic colors extracted from plants, vegetables, insects and minerals like clay and mica. The result is a repertoire of work that is truly reflective of her heritage. “This method has been present in Mexico since prehistoric times,” she explains. “And the colors that come out are an intricate part of the history of the world. Everywhere and with everything there has been color and it has meant something.”

For example, red means power. Or blood. Or love. There is an abundance of red in Mexican culture, and there is an abundance of red in Osterwalder’s work. She was born and raised in Mexico and returns often, bringing back new ideas each time.

“The Mexican culture, it’s in me. It’s in my blood. It is very personal. It might not always be beautiful, but it’s an expression of who I am and where I stand,” she says.

During her last show, red was prevalent in each piece. The same hue was used throughout, but each piece differed dramatically because of the canvas background. Osterwalder has done similar collections with blue and yellow. And even though she insists it’s about the expression, the beauty is what shines through.

“Elena gets an idea and really runs with it. Her ideas are new and innovative. We like to see an artist who continues to grow and think about their art in new ways,” says Barb Unverferth, a co-general partner of Art Access.

Osterwalder is one of four people across the country who earned the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture Fund for the Arts Grant. The NALAC promotes the cultural and artistic expressions of the diverse Latino populations in the United States. Osterwalder’s most recent work will be on display beginning Jan. 19 at Art Access, 540 S. Drexel Ave., Bexley. For more information, visit www.artaccessgallery.com or call 614-338-8325.