About the Artist

“I create art that speaks to the soul. For you to experience the charm of life.”

Anita was born the year of 1997 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There is where she lived the first 24 years of her life. This is her story. 

At the age of 16, my life choices revolved around mandatory extracurricular activities and matching my phone case with my outfits. What more can I say; I had a need for self expression.

As for the extracurriculars, sophomore year, my high school gave me the options of taking theater, physical ed, or art. I chose art because I knew that’s where my best friend and I would be able to chill and hang out the most (aka laugh until we had stomach cramps and tears). Plus, if we had to read A Raisin in the Sun one more time…whew! Cut me a break, I was 16!

Now, to why you’re here. One of my very first assignments taking this art class was learning how to grid any photo and scale it to size on a larger piece of paper. The photo I chose to render was of a tiger. I loved the intensity of the eyes. I also envisioned if I made the background the same color, it’d make the eyes pop. After the sketch was completed, we were instructed to finish the drawing using oil pastels. This is what introduced me to a skill I had no idea I possessed.

I was so satisfied with my final product, it made me look at myself differently. It wasn’t necessarily about being able to copy an image really well— it was more so about understanding the power of an image. All those times I had no words for how I felt, I now saw that I was capable of taking a different approach. I experienced feelings and emotions through images and colors; the words only came after. I realized I was only scratching the surface of my potential.

Knowing I had the ability to express my thoughts and feelings in such a vivid way, intimidated me a little bit, honestly. It took me years to feel safe calling myself an artist. It can be so vulnerable sometimes. I had to learn that that was the best part. I was afraid of being vulnerable. That fear, though, was no match for the pain of choosing not to follow my heart. Needless to say, choosing not to follow my interests was not an option.

I am interested in being creative. I love creating new and exciting ways to inspire others. Inspiration holds a very special place in my heart. That place where I am divinely influenced. Like energy, divine influence can neither be created, nor destroyed. It can only be transferred or changed from one form to another. I create art to pass along inspiration as it was so gracefully passed on to me. And for that, I will be forever grateful.