The Rio Grande connects northern Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley. It's been a lifeline and a way of life in many cities for decades.

Now, a Valley artist is using materials from the river to create pieces of artwork that have a deep meaning.

The Valley is a special place, one full of rich history and its people.

Luis Corpus is using a canvas to bring the Valley experience to life. He's using his art to show our way of life.

"I felt presenting the artwork in a manner that could bring people together through the aesthetic, I just want people to look at the work and say that's a nice drawing at least their initial thought," Corpus said.

Corpus is using materials from the Rio Grande. He wants to encapsulate who we are as a community on the canvas. Especially the duality of the river and the two cultures it combines.

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He created The Rio Grande As Art series back in 2017.

"The idea was using the river, and I had to go down there and physically touch the water," Corpus said. "I had to collect water, I had to collect branches."

Corpus wraps those branches in foil and heats them up. They release water and create charcoal for his paintings. With those materials, he created art featuring DACA recipients.

"For myself, in trying to communicate this understanding to others on how brilliant our communities are," Corpus said.

Recently, Corpus was able to put an idea he had for years onto a canvas.

It shows a woman carrying a man in the Rio Grande. The piece depicts religious undertones and is based on the current political climate.

"The message itself, it's in line with my thought on our communities with the reality with who we are, but I think this one is more direct," Corpus said.

Corpus went down to the river and had help bringing the picture to life. He worked on the drawing for some time and then transferred it onto glass.

"I was able to get the drawing onto a glass plate, it's a carbonic drawing, it's a photographic process that's been around since the mid 19th century," Corpus said.

He wants this symbolic image to be more than just a drawing.

"I wanted light to permeate the image, be able to traverse the image, go through the image, go through the image itself, so when we see the image, we're seeing light through the Rio Grande," Corpus said.

Corpus hopes his images and the materials used tell the story of the border, those who live here and who we are as a people.

Corpus' will have an art exhibition showcasing the series at the South Texas College art building in McAllen from September 8 through October 3. There will also be a reception on September 11 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

You can also view his work on his website.

The Rio Grande As Art Series by Luis Corpus is made in the 956.