Great question! When people started telling me I had talent! I honestly cannot pinpoint the first time. I’m a dreamer, so I was never thinking about the process of making the art. Sadly, I was focused on how to make money as an artist. That mindset kept leaving me high and dry though. Just recently my heart has taken a shift because I was touched by my own art. It was an experience. I was anxious about something, and I brought my art piece out into the living room, and I just sat in front of it swimming in my thoughts. Over time as I soaked the piece in, peace like an ocean just came over me and that’s when I knew I knew I was doing what I was called to do and my need to share it drove me.

Thank you so much for expressing an interest in my work. I’m the biggest dreamer you will ever know! “Iron Man” as my Mom says. I am originally from Slatina, Olt, Romania. I was adopted by a loving family from Orlando Florida at the age of three. My family and Orlando have now been home for twenty-two years. I love the diversity of Orlando and what everyone brings to the table. Growing up I remember being very intrigued with the modern ambiance. I just loved the modern lifestyle. Something drew me. I remember being on a family ski trip and seeing a modern abstract piece hanging on the wall and my Dad saying, “You could do that!” Years passed, and I didn’t think about art at all. My heart was chasing music, as I grew up loving music and I was playing in my church’s band while being in the symphonic band at my middle school. It wasn’t until the summer before eleventh grade I went on the youth group’s annual mission trip and one night there was a canvas on the stage all by itself. Later in the night the pastor spoke and told us his story of how art became a gift during his battle with Leukemia. That was the same night I was called to art. This was a couple of years after my parents had split up, so the weekend I got back landed on when I was going to my Dad’s, which was perfect! The canvas that my Aunt had gotten me two years prior was in my bedroom, just lying against the wall. I called my best friend at the time to come over and help me. I used the house paint that was sitting in storage in the garage. I used the brushes for the house and began creating my first abstract art piece. It ended up hanging in the living room at my Dad’s. Everyone really gravitated to the piece for some reason. At the time I was just trying to paint the art piece I saw on our family vacation that one day. Over the years more people would come into my life and became a vessel for new inspiration, which in turn molded my style of art.

I believe what sets my art apart from others is how I express my unique emotions and feelings through my art. I’ve been told by others, “You can really feel the emotion in these pieces.” I had no idea that was happening. Art I think is unique to each individual whether on the giving side or the receiving side. One thing I want people to experience through “feeling” my art is there is always light in the darkness. In one’s darkness, light comes in many forms and many hues but the best light is the dim gentle light that guides. Much like a sunrise or sunset.

What life is really about. Life is difficult and who is around us shapes us. I am the wild child in the family, and I do everything upside down. After years of being corrected and critiqued by people, I lost who I really was. I couldn’t make the smallest decisions from choosing what I said to what I ate all the way to which route to take to work because I was so scared of being wrong and what the consequences would be. I knew perfect love casts out fear, but I was fearing my life away. Life had become so dark because not only was I constantly correcting myself I was correcting others, in my mind or verbally. I lost my compassion and realness for myself and others and with that most of my relationships. The ones who helped bring light and love onto who I am either began coming into my life or remained. I am seeing this in society today. Options aren’t calling us to be free to be us but rather choosing which makes us right. We’ve lost the beauty of being with each other in our flaws and our beauties. To celebrate each other’s authenticity. I’m learning who I am right now and I think that will be a lifelong journey, which is a beautiful thing

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist for me is the hope that I can bring to people through it by just being me in the creative process which in turn shows up on the canvas.