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

Rhonna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I didn’t know it at the time, but my love for designing architectural spaces began with mahjong tiles. I was around 4 or 5 years old, sitting on a windowsill looking across the street. I watched the puffs of smoke rising from a square table where my father and uncles played the game for hours on end. When they left the table, I would walk over, take a seat, and use the mahjong tiles to stack them into the floorplan of a home. A mahjong block with the 4 balls became a stove, 2 sticks became the cabinets, the 4 stick blocks as a rectangle were my doors, etc…

Rhonna, 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?

In eighth grade, my big sister bought me a book that was about architecture as a gift. It was enough encouragement that the summer before high school, I would open the Sunday paper to the pages of houses for sale and draw/copy them into my sketchbook. The routine eventually inspired me to design my own houses and floorplans. It was a small enough seed that would sprout up when I was in my early twenties, lost on what to do with my life.

Eventually, transferring from a community college, I pursued an architecture degree at Cal Poly Pomona. To this day, I love my architecture work of designing homes, offices, etc. I have always believed that the initial floorplan is the heart of all spaces. I believe that when the design of a space is based upon the circulation within it, life is brought into a home.

Fast forward to 2011, my creative path took a different turn when I began to draw stick-figure yogis on recycled coffee filters, to journal a yoga challenge that would eventually lead me on a spiritual path through art. My sketches on these coffee filters transformed into paintings on recycled drop cloths, and eventually on regular canvasses. Some of my pieces have found homes around the world, and others are patiently nestled in my own home waiting for their rightful families. In observing the last decade, I’ve come to understand that I’m here to help make peace with myself and the challenges I’ve gone through one painting at a time.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Over the last few years, I’ve taken a couple of art-based training courses. One was a program called Art Sozo, a training that drew on God/faith-based conversations. The other was A Touch Stone Art facilitator training with A Window Between Worlds, a non-profit organization for women. After completing both courses, I took some time to discern how to create my own, unique art sessions. Today, I offer “heART Sessions w/ rhonna ” where all are welcome to come as they are. I believe each will have their own creative healing encounters during their own session.

Fast forward to last summer, after conducting several sessions and getting heartfelt feedback from participants, I felt called to expand the opportunity for others to partake by offering the session with a sliding scale/donation base. I do not teach professional art techniques, nor can I say we are “making art”. In fact, we don’t even use paintbrushes! Participants only need to come with curiosity and a goal to heal a part of themselves creatively. I provide several exercises and guides through prompts and questions. Inviting responses with the intuitive movement of paint on canvas, we then expand on key areas participants want to share more about voluntarily. All stories during the session come to the surface naturally. Some subjects that have been touched upon during my sessions are grief, depression, anxiety, lack of creativity, stress, change of career, self-worth, forgiveness, seeking joy, and more.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In 2014, I had to process my divorce, and the 2020 pandemic really put my persistence to the test in staying along the path of my art journey. When I am greeted by life’s struggles (specifically those of the financial category), the first question that pops into my mind is- ‘Can you afford this path to growing the artist in you? How will this responsibly support you and your daughter?’ I ask myself every time if I should strictly put my effort and time into a secure, payable architecture career, and let go of painting completely. As a single mom, that question rings a hundred times louder. Every time my heart replies with the encouragement to take a leap of faith and to stay on the course! And with that leap of faith, I have always found many blessings meeting me on the other side.

Faith and resilience have been my supplements throughout life. I have always been the easy-going, go-with-the-flow type of person. Alongside this, I am gratefully balanced with the persistence to align what I think, say, and do no matter what is going on in my life. My philosophies have always been consistent, as I put a piece of my soul in all aspects of my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: rhonnadelrioart.com , rhonnadelrio.com, inephesus.com
• Instagram: @rhonna.heartstories , @rhonnadelrioart
• Linkedin: Rhonna del Rio, Assoc AIA, CFSP
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/xI84EpHC1IU?si=e5Wu6mJWZ_IZ6qhQ