I’ve always been a girl in reverie. From pseudo names like Lucy An Louise to Lora Reina, I would say that up until my mid 20’s I wasn’t aware that I needed to be on planet Earth. Dreams filled my mind and heart. Art was my way of connection. Being raised in DC, I had the advantage to walk to my favorite museums and galleries at the Smithsonian. Inspiration was always in abundance.

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Though I’ve always drawn, In high school, I began to draw my first portraits. I found inspiration from the fashion magazines I’d been purchasing since I was 10 years old. I loved the fantasies used in the advertisement to sell products and I’d try to recreate them in my art. I’ll admit that at the time, race wasn’t much of a factor to me. While I did pay attention to models of the same ethnic background, it wouldn’t play a role in the winning images I’d recreate. During those years, I went to lunch with an aunt of mine. I pulled out my most recent piece, a blue eyed brunette with a big color bow on the top of her head, hanging down to her ears. It was work that I was proud of but she wasn’t impressed. She asked me, “Why don’t you draw people that look like you?” I didn’t have an answer back then but today I know it’s because it wasn’t something that was important to me at the time. I loved the composition of the photo with a white model, I liked the makeup and accessories she was wearing but this question would shape me and my art more than I realized.

 

My lens widened. Though I didn’t know any models in real life but I was surrounded by girls who imitated those in the magazines. I began to take pictures of my peers and sketch them. I took constant trips to Utrecht art store (now known as Blick), eventually buying hundreds of Prismacolor markers and Sharpie paint markers to get the job done. For the first time, I began to share finished pieces. This artistic connection earned me the title of Most Talented. 

 

Later in life, I created my first big project. A coloring book with over 100 pages dedicated to natural hair. I did several pop up shops all over the city. I would sell my book, colored prints, handmade erasers and print out large coloring posters for attendees to color and connect with at the event. I hosted a coloring competition to get people engaged with art therapy. 

 

During quarantine, I was able to delve into my next artistic chapter. I put my markers down and picked up a paint brush. Having done a demonstration course at the Smithsonian for oil painting right before the pandemic, I was able to take this time at home to experiment and hone this new medium. For inspiration, I decided to look inward. I pulled out all of my art, including work that I’ve done since highschool and explored my own ideas. I came across a collage that I put together in highschool and decided to paint it in oil. It was the first of many collage pieces I would do. Along with perfecting my portraits and sketching out ideas on the side. 

 

Recently I’ve been keeping busy with freestyle portraits, commissions and showing my work in art shows and galleries. 

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-Milora