Life has taken me in many directions. I was forced to give up art for a while. My family and I are originally from New York City and moved to Ithaca 10 years ago. While here, I was able to slow down and absorb the beauty of Ithaca. I picked up a brush in 2020 and started painting again.
I work largely with the mediums of acrylic and watercolor, oftentimes with bold colors, form, and light to convey the energy, mood, and emotion of a landscape or a moment. Much of my work focuses on colorful flora and fauna. However, I’m slowly developing a series of portraits that I call visual memoirs, paintings of historia, experiences and people that I remember from the South Bronx.
My landscapes are abstract. I use acrylics, pigmented India ink, chalk paint, and charcoal pastel. The scenes are serene or dramatic depending on my mood or a mysterious drive to paint something in particular. The use of largely bold colors comes from a Caribbean influence since I’m part of the Puerto Rican diaspora, my family hailing from Vieques and other parts of the island.
I don’t paint nature simply because I love nature; I paint nature because I’m inspired by it and have a healthy respect for it. We lead such busy lives and don’t always have time to look around. I paint as a reminder to myself and my family to take in the natural environment, especially when it’s cold and grey outside.