Hello World
Time and memories are fascinating things. Each stage of our life begins to feel like past lifetimes. As I was thinking about how to introduce myself to you, I started daydreaming about my childhood in Brazil. I found my old deteriorating photos and indulged in the emotional tug-of-war in my heart between joy and sadness. I relished the sensorial memory of the sun on my skin, the smell in the air, the sounds of nature and the city. I remembered playing hide and seek with my sister and cousins and eating my grandmother’s cooking. Remembering all the joy of living at that time and place brought with it a sadness of its passing. The little girl whose favorite color was pink and dreamed of becoming a ballerina, grew up to love blue and becoming a visual artist.
Hello world, my name is Raquel and I’m a visual artist, based in Austin, Texas. It has taken me a while to get to the point where I feel confident in calling myself that. Drawing and painting have always been a part of my life. I remember sitting on the living room floor with my mom learning how to sharpen a pencil and using the color shavings with a cotton ball to create a delicate and even blue sky. I remember my parents painting on kitchen linen towels to sell at the weekend fair with my grandmother’s crocheted baby clothes and blankets. In middle school, my dad found some art books of old masters and I practiced by doing studies of their work. I developed my art skills enough to enter a Visual Arts Magnet High School and later the Herbert Ryman Program hosted at Otis Parsons School of Art and Design in downtown Los Angeles.
Life has a way of guiding you down meandering paths sometimes and I went along my journey, having a family and attending college along the way. All the while, catching glimpses of the artist I wanted to be. For the past few years, I have steadily worked on improving my skills by; reading art books, watching videos of artists whose work I admire, collecting supplies, and practicing. As a life learner and evolving artist, I can see myself continuing on this path. I love representative art that tells stories and feels real. I love art that you can’t walk away from and that makes you ask yourself, “How did they do that?”. I love to experiment with different mediums and techniques, it keeps art fun and exciting for me. My ultimate goal is to create art that I love and to share it with you. On my website you’ll find my evolving portfolio and some tidbits about my artist journey. You can reach me via email in the contact page. I hope you enjoy my work and I look forward to hearing from you.
