From Painting with Toothpaste and Coffee to Building a Life in Art When I started painting in Cuba, I couldn't afford art supplies. I mixed watercolor with toothpaste, thinned oil paint with diesel, painted on blankets and cardboard boxes instead of canvases, and even used coffee as ink. At 21, I arrived in the United States with just $650 in my pocket. I spent $600 on art supplies and the remaining $50 on a pair of shoes. I had no idea how challenging the journey ahead wou