Devotion I | 65” x 18” | Ready to hang with edges finished with gold + silver leaf When I was eight, I moved from my birthplace of Venezuela to Florida. My sanctuary within this era of change - that of rebuilding our lives in a new country and culture - became the natural world. Being outside and playing in the tropical forests and amongst the canals of our West Coast beach town transformed me into a bird watcher, a lover of trees, clouds, starry skies and the peculiar beauty of nature (hello manatees). My father who was perfectly bookish and and not at all an outdoorsman, began to take us to the Everglades for Sunday outings. On these days I discovered the pleasures of learning the names and characteristics of birds such as the Anhinga, Roseate Spoonbill & the regal Great Blue Heron. These moments in nature helped to reorganize my new young life and still provide me with a vision of tranquility, adventure and curiosity. This is the inspiration for my series of flora and fauna.
