My story

I also wanted to share how my journey began.

When I was a kid my aunt would take me into NYC every year for my birthday to see a broadway play. It was one of my favorite things to do. We would go to John’s Pizzeria before the play and it was amazing! I grew up already valuing the arts.

Anyway, as I began to grow and figure out what I wanted to do in life one year I was gifted a camera from my aunt for my birthday. Just a basic point and shoot, Pink Polaroid that ran on batteries. I loved that camera so much! I took it everywhere and documented my life. Then my uncle who was into photography as well gave me a film camera once I entered high school. I literally lived in the darkroom. It was one of my favorite places. I also expanded into using digital DSLRS as well.

I ended up going to college for photography and completing my BFA. After college I had a range of different photography jobs anywhere from being a photo editor, automotive photography, and a day camp photographer just to name a few. I was laid off from my first job out of college and learned the lesson that people are replaceable and that things can change quickly once you get a job.

I tried to build a photography business on my own and realized that the industry was being decimated by shoot and burn photographers (people that charge too low of a rate to earn an actual living), it was impossible to compete. It also hurt seeing the people I went to high school with hire a different photographer.

Looking back I remember one day talking on the phone to my grandma, she always told me sometimes things don’t work out because you’re meant to be on a different path. At the time I had no idea how true that would be.

During my final year in college I started painting, nothing serious at the time. Just enjoying how I could create a textured 3D surface compared to photography. I wanted to showcase them during my BFA exhibition. My teachers told me that they were horrible and that my photography was better. So I did not include them.

Fast forward to life after college, my life changed in 2019. my family members were presented with a cancer diagnosis. My grandma had non-small cell lung cancer, one of the rarer ones with few markers. My aunt had gallbladder cancer which is not common in the states. It is more prevalent in South America. At the time I only dealt with my childhood dog, bubbles getting old and passing. I had never experienced this with actual family members.

The phone ringing became a oh no did something else happen? Oh no what’s going on now. So then at that time I returned to painting, screw those teachers that said my paintings were not good. I needed a release from all the chaos I was dealing with. I then created an entire 3D series of paintings (most of those have sold now) I realized that I loved painting just as much as photography. I invested into a color theory course. From there I knew this was what I had to do. 

My grandma was right I was meant to be on a different path, only I did not know it at the time.

After dealing with both of them passing I realized that painting did make me feel better, in a way it was a type of therapy for me. Especially when I was dealing with family matters. Looking back even during the time when I did automotive photography I would come home after work and paint downstairs. It was always a type of therapy for me. I finally am deciding to sell all of those originals from that time too. It took me years because honestly I have no idea how I even made them. Yes I am still attached to some of them. (I’ll prob keep a few that I can’t sell)

But anyway, if you are still reading this, congrats! <3 appreciate you.

I wanted to spread awareness of my story. Why I do what I do. How it all began. My goal is to spread happiness and joy into as many homes as possible