I am a mixed media artist. I was born in Lisbon, Portugal. My mom is french and my father is Portuguese so I am grateful to embrace two cultures and truly I am a citizen of the world as I have been traveling for more than 30 years now. I answered my calling in Los Angeles, back in 2006 at Barnes and Nobles when buying the book of Bev Brazelton “altered books workshop”. It literally changed my life. I found a community, a sense of deep connection to the world and to myself. My altered books, journals, recycled objects and talisman jewelry tell my story, where I came from where I am where i am going and show you the way to tell your story if you are willing to.

I am blessed to have found the love of my life, my husband Luis who happens to live in our childhood one street behind mine... we were bound to live love and grew together.

Welcome to my world.

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What does Art is Magic mean to you?

Art is magic means connection, being part of…

Being in this online course feels like I have found my people same when I meet a creative in person, it feels good to be able to share our passion, what motivates us, what makes us create. As creatives we are very emotional and we connect very easily when we found like minded souls.

ART IS magic in my Life as just talking about what I do with other persons gives me a lot of energy, I feel enthusiast and passionate and my mood immediately is up, same happens when I am in my studio hours seems to fly. I call my studio my little corner of paradise. Over the years Art prevent me from depression when I was facing huge challenges in my life. Art gave me new friends and most important the feeling of “ I am enough” which in itself is priceless.

Why do you create art?

Because it’s my safe place, it’s home. It brings me back to my childhood where all seemed possible. Creating for me it’s much more than just having fun and playing with my different medias, it has an healing effect. I know from experience that creating art journals/artist books will calm and fulfill me. Coming to my studio gives me not only energy but a sense of worth and belonging. Being among my materials and I have many… has a soothing effect on my mind and soul. It’s where I belong.

When I am creating I lost track of time and forget all the challenges of day to day life. The simple effect of putting my worn and old apron brings me a sense of joy and gratitude. Everything flows and seems simple while assembling, stiching, glueing, painting, sewing.

Tell us about your journey to become an artist?

It took me a while to be able to call myself an artist. It didn’t seem right I was into the impostor syndrome and would give long explanations about what I was doing and creating until I had a friend who told me a person who cooks is a cooker, a person who helps others is a therapist etc… so a person like you who creates is an artist. She made it simple and uncomplicated. It was liberating.

I remember feeling guilty when I spent too many hours in my studio. How could I have so much fun and pleasure? Wasn’t I supposed to do something more productive like helping others?I felt selfish and I resist for years.I even took many courses to become a therapist like my mom, believing that creativity wasn’t profound enough until I realize that it was creativity that had saved me from all the challenges I had to face over the years. Creativity means beauty to me and as I work a lot with fotos it’s a bridge between the past and the future. Adding fotos into my work of beloved ones feels like a continuity same when I add fotos of strangers I love to give life to what has been discarded, forgotten, rejected.

How do you keep your creative practice fresh and inspired?

One of the things that always works for me is organizing my studio, even if he doesn’t need to and looking into my computer for old artwork. It never fails and before I realize it the flow, the urge to create is much present so I just follow the impulse. I am often into the creative mood, when walking my dog India for example i will find organic elements and bring them home, same in the supermarket I don’t look at oignons only to create a salad or black beans, I know i can dye them and am always searching new ways to add interest in my work.

What do you wish you had known at the beginning of your creative journey?

To trust myself and not to compare with others. I wish I had been more private and not shown my first works to people who were not helpful or encouraging. I wish I had known that there is a place for all of us, that the most important is to dive in and trust the process. Creating is all about learning growing discovering. I wish I had integrated at an early stage that there is no mistakes in mixed media and that is priceless for a creative.