It has been a long journey until I came to accept that my personal input, my own sight, is relevant in this world. This realisation has surfaced repeatedly, especially when I am navigating self-doubt about my talent.
To be honest it has always been there, manifesting in different ways, with different mediums… art has always been and will be through me.
My fascination with colour started from a very early age, as a young student, the art classes fed my spirit and passion. In retrospect, I realise they gave me a sense of freedom that other subjects did not. I was taught to sew by hand and to embroider in my native city in Colombia.
There, hand embroidery has been a long tradition which has passed from generation to generation being part of the socio-economic gear of the region. During my early teens, I taught myself to draw, inspired by illustrations of characters in my school textbooks. My main focus at that time was the human figure and soon I was experimenting by adding clothing designs to my characters. This led to a passion to study fashion and to expressing myself with the use of textiles and the embellishment of fabrics.
Many paths and choices, like pieces of an enigmatic puzzle called life, have collaborated to enrich my design and textile skill set, serving what I consider the search for joy through making. Now, I thank the exuberant beauty of Devon surroundings because it has been here in the UK when I finally made peace with my inner self accepting this continuing learning path and sharing my perspective as an artist.
I consider myself a channel through which the infinite source flows.
My art strives to connect with other people's souls through the vibration of colour. Although beauty is in the eye of the beholder, if my work can be considered a container of that quality, my aim is to inspire and bring positive vibes. We are all thirsty for beauty in a negativity-polluted environment. Just as listening to a thoughtful piece of music can raise your frequency and lift your mood, observing a piece of art can have a similar effect on your well-being.
Furthermore, I am eager to orient my work towards art therapy. Integrating principles of neuroaesthetics with therapeutic practices could offer profound benefits, helping individuals find solace, healing, and empowerment through art. I believe that by exploring these scientific and therapeutic dimensions, I can enhance my ability to connect with others and contribute to their well-being in meaningful ways.
This desire to deepen my practice is also intertwined with my profound spiritual experiences. My contact with the spiritual world has been through the oneiric realm; encountering vivid images in my dreams and visiting places which I call other realities. I have experienced lucid dreams where I have been able to contact loved ones who have passed away, receiving messages and even being able to feel the energy in my physical body like the touch of a hand, or seeing benevolent beings whom I identify as spiritual guides.
In some way, I believe that science will converge in the knowledge of God and that art can be a vessel navigating the immensity of an energy sea. By blending the insights of neuroaesthetics with the spiritual dimensions of my experiences, I aim to create something that resonates on many levels, offering a holistic approach to healing and connection.
Creating became a form of meditation, a way to process emotions and link with something greater than myself. It is fascinating how an idea nests in the mind and within my own resources it is unveiled layer by layer on the canvas. That has been part of my process of my recent creations which conveys my love for the depiction of the human figure in conjunction with nature.
Some of my artwork contains elements of fantasy; the images are picturesque windows to look at just for enjoyment or if the viewers want, mechanisms to encourage the imagination of some other worlds that can coexist in peace with our tumultuous one.
By making these colourful representations, I don’t try to question any belief. I like feeling the freedom and leaving the image just being; through the illustration of winged beings in utopian gardens in blossom for example, it elevated me beyond the concern of the moment that as humanity we were living. Few years ago in times of pandemic and confinement, if something gave me peace was being able to go out in the morning for a walk and breathe the fresh air.
Those walks that sometimes became monologues led me to reflect on the things I saw along; for example, I still remember the felicity of having found Long Timbers Wood years ago, the trail that runs parallel to the river Erme in Ivybridge. What a wonder when I saw the small doors at the base of the trees, and then when able to look out to find small gifts that hopeful children had left for their elusive winged inhabitants. I could also observe this in Filham Park, one of my favourite places close from home.
That fascination, part of the compendium of folklore and mythology, is still alive in these areas of the English countryside. Although I do not remember so much literature about fairies in my early age, at least in my native country, many stories were told about goblins, ‘la madremonte’ (mother of the forest) and some mischievous witches, for whom there were methods to catch them red-handed!
In my last collection “Pachamama,” the depiction of nature in my art honours the feminine principle of mother earth by presenting serene figures seated in serene contemplation, symbolising the nurturing aspect of nature. The surrounding foliage, with intricate patterns and vibrant colours, evokes a sense of growth and vitality. This artwork captures the intimate connection between the feminine form and the flourishing environment, suggesting a harmonious balance and mutual respect and reflects the cyclical power of creation and regeneration.
The figure’s meditative pose and the organic forms that envelop her serve as a metaphor for the symbiotic relationship between all living things and the earth. The artwork invites viewers to contemplate the delicate interplay of life and the natural world, encouraging a deeper appreciation for the sustaining force that is the feminine principle. Through this visual narrative, I aim to inspire a reverence towards nature and cherish our shared home.
