Connect What is your favorite type of art to create?

Ive always been drawn to pencil portraits as well as painting landscapes because they reflect two different sides of my experience as a person and an artist. Sketching portraits allows me to focus on capturing the pure, raw, and genuine emotions that a lot of us often aren't able to put into words. My landscape paintings become my of sense of escape. When Im working on them, I feel as though, Im stepping inside the world that I’m creating.

Where do you find inspiration?

I’m inspired by everything around me. I feel things so deeply and my sketches are inspired by the emotions that I see in others. I’m also deeply inspired by nature. Before even knowing how to speak, my mom tells me I’d point at the sky. When she saw one color in the sunset, I’d see many. While painting, I feel as though I’m inside of the place I am painting, making me never want to put the brush down. Art lets me transform my memory, struggle, and feeling into something powerful and real.

What would you do with $25,000?

With $25,000, I would invest in both my future and my art by finishing school and continuing to grow as a self-taught artist. I currently create in a small room, so I would use it to rent a dedicated space where I can fully focus on my work. I would also upgrade my materials and share my art through exhibitions and online platforms. As someone raised by a single mother, my goal is to make her proud while creating work that connects with and inspires others.