Sueños y Pensamiento is an oil on canvas painting created by Maria Izquierdo in 1947. This painting is one of my favorite pieces of art because it is a terrific example of the Surrealist art movement - my favorite genre of art. Sueños y Pensamiento was inspired by Izquierdo's nightmares and utilizes symbolism and Surrealism's defining characteristic of dream analysis. In 1945, Izquierdo learned that Rivera canceled her commissioned fresco for the Mexico City Hall. Rivera argued that this type of work was beyond her capabilities due to her lack of experience in muralism. She received significant criticism after detesting Rivera and a decrease in support, which led to many difficulties in her artistic career. During this stressful time in her life, Izquierdo started having intense nightmares. She used those nightmares to paint what is now Sueños y Pensamiento. Surrealism is my favorite art genre and one of my biggest inspirations. Similar to Izquierdo, I experience vivid dreams and stress nightmares almost every night. I record the ones I remember as pieces of writing, small thumbnails in my sketchbook, quick paintings, or as verbal stories and text messages to my friends and family. I have not been able to create a finished piece of my own for the fear that viewers would not be able to understand the message I am trying to convey. After seeing the honest depictions in Sueños y Pensamiento, I am more motivated to create what I see in my dreams the way Izquierdo saw hers. Sueños y Pensamiento is one of my favorite art pieces as it is a wonderful example of Surrealism. The artist takes inspiration from her dreams, an element in my life I heavily relate to. After studying this painting, I finally felt the push I needed to create my Surrealist pieces.