Art Vs Artist 2025 - A journey back to acrylics

2025 was a great year! I started working with acrylics, and even though it was overwhelming at first, I got the hang of it. Now, I’m blown away by everything I accomplished.

It all started with an acrylic set from Ohuhu that my husband gifted me.

My history with acrylics is a complicated one. I had some minor contact with them as a kid when my caregiver was taking a magazine course. I painted my first canvas then—an idyllic landscape of a house, from my imagination. On technical terms, it wasn't a big deal, but she was jealous enough of my inclination that she forbade me from ever touching her art supplies again. She never painted again, either, preferring to let all those supplies go bad rather than allow me to use them. At her first opportunity, she threw my canvas in the trash.

That whole experience made me hesitant to pursue that kind of aspiration. But time passed, and I’m also a very stubborn person—I kept on drawing. It was always my main outlet. I used mostly my regular school notebooks and pencils, but I never stopped.

I had no money for college, and my caretaker didn't have any to spare for me, either. Thanks to my grandma, however, I was able to study graphic design at university (Visual Arts was actually my first choice). I changed my mind because graphic design seemed to offer more career options. I was lucky to study at a very traditional, arts-oriented university, so my graphic design course was remarkably similar to the visual arts program. The first two years were almost identical, with an emphasis on expressive drawing, art history, and related subjects. So, I basically had two years of art school done! The final two years became more specialized, focusing on typography, visual composition, and professional tools.

Time passed, and I worked in multiple fields, including book illustration, giclée printing, and advertising agencies. There was always a pull toward sculpture and traditional art, but I was perpetually overwhelmed by the idea of “wasting” material—art supplies are absurdly expensive in Brazil, as most premium products are imported.

In 2020, my husband and I moved to British Columbia—him to work, and me to study animation and have my first exchange student experience. I delved deeper into my art and saw a huge leap in the quality of my work. I was surprised and thrilled to land a job right after completing the course.

Then, I got pregnant, and motherhood became my whole world. I paused everything else. I stayed like that for about two years, but making art is almost like an itch—you have to do it, or it drives you insane. I couldn’t draw on my iPad anymore; it felt weird and empty. So, I got a sketchbook. Then, my husband gave me the acrylic set… and suddenly, here we are.

This year, I:

• Painted a whole collection of monster girls.

• Did craft fairs again.

• Participated in the Under 100 Art Show.

• Painted around 60 canvases.

It’s mind-blowing! The most awesome thing about having all this art physically here is that I can look at it and see the improvement, the impact, the difference. My digital illustrations are easy to forget because they live idle on a screen. It’s almost like they don’t exist unless I print them out.

So, here’s to a year of getting my hands dirty, breaking old fears, and filling a studio with color. None of this would feel as meaningful without the support and kind words from those of you who have followed along, liked a post, or bought a piece. Thank you for being part of my 2025. I can't wait to see what we create in 2026.