Two Worlds, One Art

My artistic journey has been defined not just by my creations, but by a life between a home, and a home away from home. I was born and raised in Colombia, but I have spent thirteen years in Oman, which means that my heart belongs to both Latin America and the Middle East. This multicultural identity has co-developed with my artistic endeavours, and I proudly reflect this through work that aims to bring together the best of two seemingly distinct worlds. From my first strokes of a paintbrush, to the opening of my art studio, the path I have taken has been long, but rewarding.

Childhood and Youth

As a child I was always very expressive and imaginative. My mother was a teacher who specialised in teaching art to children, and I would take part in her classes as both her student and assistant. Even though she never really taught me any specific skills or techniques, she did contribute to inspiring my passion for painting. I quickly became good at painting and this was something that I really enjoyed when I was in school, however I never took it very seriously. I then went on to study industrial engineering at university, where despite being a significantly different career path to art, it still allowed me to make use of my creative talents.

Moving Abroad

After I married my husband in 2001, he got a job offer in Saudi Arabia, and in search of adventure we decided to make the bold move to the Arabian Gulf. At that time I was struggling to find a job, and being young and enthusiastic, my life needed purpose. So with all the free time that I found myself having, I picked up painting again and instantly reconnected with the inner child that I had lost over the years. Saudi Arabia was only the start of an incredible adventure abroad though. We traveled around the world quite a bit, and one of the countries that we settled in, for a brief, yet impactful period, was Oman. Me and my husband, along with our one year old son, first arrived in Oman in 2007. During this time, I took my painting hobby a step further and got together with a friend to start a small side hustle where we painted murals in many places including houses and schools. It was a successful venture as my work was starting to get recognised by a lot of people. We then left Oman though, and moved around a bit more, but I was motivated to continue painting.

Returning to Oman and Opening the Studio

Oman came calling again in 2012, and with my husband and two children, we returned to this country that we love dearly. I began focusing on developing my reputation and profile as an artist. The shift from painting murals to painting canvas meant that I could now sell products and not just services. Taking part in exhibitions and growing my online presence also helped my work get recognised not just in Oman, but in other parts of the world too. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I hit a massive bump along the road. Less people were now buying my work and I also couldn’t display it in art exhibitions. I realised that I was not going to progress if I was just selling my work from home, I needed to expand. So I made the biggest decision of my artistic career and opened my own studio in 2020.

Growing the Studio

Opening my studio was a risk that brought about many challenges. It was difficult to adapt my routine because art became more than just a hobby. Now that I was committing full time I needed to put in a lot more hours and I had to create even in times where I lacked inspiration. Starting a business during the pandemic was also not easy. It took time and I also had to learn how to handle responsibilities that extended beyond just picking up a paintbrush. Running a studio also brings about a lot of difficult days, clients, and moments. None of this however can take away from the joy that I find in creating. I am still passionate about what I do and constantly looking for ways to expand my work. Working in a studio really boosted my creativity, and this led me to launch my functional art line. The goal I envisioned with this was to create art that people could take wherever they want. Over these last few years I have developed this by creating products that are not limited to canvas paintings anymore, as I now create a wide range of small art such as coasters, trays, prints and much more.

Main Takeaways

Both my artistic and personal journey have been filled with risks, lessons, and blessings. Throughout this entire process my family has supported me a lot and it has in many ways become a bit of a family business. During many of the difficult moments I have remained faithful to God knowing that through this he is carrying out his plans for my life. Everyday I look forward to opening my studio doors with optimism and enthusiasm. I really found what inspires me and I have used this to create my story which is still far from over. That is the advice I would give to anyone, not just other artists. Find what inspires you and do it your own way.