We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Maria Morales. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Maria below.

Maria, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I love being an artist and creating new artwork that wouldn’t exist if I didn’t create it. We are all unique and how we express ourselves or what we create is unique to us.

I did have a regular job throughout my working career but I would have preferred to have had more creative opportunities. My European upbringing encourage a traditional role for women so I got married, we bought a house, had four wonderful children and I had a full time corporate career.

Now I have more time to paint, experiment, exhibit my artwork, and create.

Maria, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am an abstract artist painting with acrylics on canvas and wood panels. I received my BFA in Illustration from Parson’s School of Design in New York City. Throughout a career that spanned graphic design, print production, web design, computer graphics training, and technology strategy and research, I always pursued my primary passion of creating art.

After many years of painting realistically using oil paint I started becoming unenthusiastic towards my own work. I’ve always been inspired by abstraction in artwork, how some non-representational work is so powerful, and how challenging it seems to be to create good work. I love color, organic shapes and movement, transparency, and history in my artwork.

Some years back I started to incorporate abstraction into my realistic paintings but in 2020 the pandemic changed a lot of our thinking. I jumped all in and started doing things differently and going for it. I moved away from realistic painting and fully embraced creating abstract work. It has been so much more challenging than I ever thought but I am feeling the joy of expressing what I like and letting the colors and shapes run free. My abstract paintings are a refection of my inner thoughts, emotions, struggles, triumphs, and joys.

My paintings are a combination of mixed media using acrylic, collage, and a variety of mark-making tools. The artwork is comprised of multiple layers of paint, marks, collage, drawing, and textures. I use color, values, composition, and shapes to add interest to the work. Recently, I have been incorporating a bit of realism into the abstracts. I guess circling back to my past.

I have many pieces that have ended up in the “I don’t know what to do with it” pile but when a painting really comes together and starts singing there is no other feeling like it. I love creating something that brings me joy and it’s so fulfilling when it also speaks to other people and the ultimate honor is when they choose to have my artwork grace their homes and personal space.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

The Arts are the soul of life. Painting, dancing, music, singing, theater, poetry, and all creative pursuits bring joy, laughter, thought, introspection, light heartedness, empathy, togetherness, community, happiness, and love to the world. Appreciating the beauty around us and within us, cultivating our individual uniqueness, and cherishing what makes us who we are makes for a more fulfilling human existence.

Society and communities can support their local artists by purchasing original art for their homes and businesses. Strongly support the arts in your local schools, attend board of education meetings voice your opposition when they discuss cutting costs by reducing or eliminating art and music. Attend Art Fairs, go to Open Studios, attend Opening Receptions for Art Exhibits, donate to the Arts, attend a theater production, buy a ticket to your local high school production and cheer those kids on. Volunteer to help with Art programs for children, at risk youth, dis-enfranchised adults, lonely elders.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My creative journey is to find joy in what I do and to have fun doing it. I think that a person happy with themselves is a better parent, spouse, child, friend, asset to the community and more giving and tolerant to their fellow man. When I was younger I had loftier ideals and goals but now I feel that living a good life, helping people, being accepting of others, offering encouragement, valuing each others diversity and uniqueness, and being empathetic are noble aspirations that foster a more tolerant and civil life.

Since we are all unique and have unique life experiences what we create will never be exactly like any one else’s. How we dress, what we find funny, what we love to do, our gardens, our cooking, our dancing, our outlook are uniquely ours. If I don’t create my artwork, it will never exist. If you don’t create yours, I will never see it. If we don’t create no one will ever be inspired by our work, no one will derive joy from seeing or owning it, and no one will be touched by it. I create because it is joyful and fulfills me and in the process I hope it touches others.

If you are doubting yourself because your creative output is different than others making you think that makes it not as good, you need to change your thinking. That difference is what makes your work yours and what makes it unique. That is everyone’s super power. How boring the world and life would be if we were all the same and created the same things.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.moralesllc.com
• Instagram: @mariamoralesart