President-elect Joe Biden is letting the dogs back into the White House and Mexican-American artist Patrick Gabaldón couldn’t be more excited. The El Paso native has been supporting the Joe Biden/Kamala Harris ticket throughout their campaign by posting his digital drawings all over social media. He started making political art in 2016.
“It’s natural for me to create art with a message,” Gabaldón told Remezcla this week.
This year, Gabaldón has made artwork encouraging people to vote, including drawings of cactus, rattlesnakes, roosters, Mexican elote, and Dia de los Muertos calaveras. He also drew fun portraits of Biden, Harris, and 2018 Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who is being credited for helping turn Georgia blue in the 2020 presidential election.
Recently, Gabaldón added a portrait of Biden’s two German shepherds, Champ and Major, to his virtual political exhibition. The words under the portrait read, “Welcome 1st Doggos.” A dog lover himself, Gabaldón says his family own a chihuahua, poodle and lovable mutt.
“I tried to express the warm and mischievous smirks my dogs give me in the First Dogs [portrait],” he said. “I think I nailed this one because so many people have let me know the illustration made them smile. My hope is that those two doggos keep the president-elect and all the staff happy in the days and years ahead.”
Although he did not do any official artwork for the Biden campaign, he has heard from Biden staffers in recent days. Gabaldón said he became friends with some of them in 2018 during the Beto O’Rourke Senate race in Texas.
“They’ve been great in elevating and sharing my work,” he said. “I’ve spoken to some Biden team members post-election and they’re in the best spirits!”
We’re sure Champ and Major are, too.