Valeria Mercado is a mixed media artist: she does a bit of everything. She’s a fully independent woman making currency from bar tending and art.She can’t keep to one specific art form because it would get to tiresome for her. She’s a senior student who is majoring in panting and graphic arts at Inter American University, San German. Ever since she was a child, she had a passion for art. The person that inspired her to begin her art voyage was her grandmother that taught her about art intensively.
One of her artistic inspirations is Francis Bacon, a great colorist; his art shows vivid and raw imagery. Valeria hole heartedly knows that art takes time and effort.Considering her work to be figurative, referring to it as a different perspective of things from everyday life. This implies that it retains strong references to the real world but from her own individual outlook. She admires art as an escape from reality but it also puts her more in touch with a reality that is very complex.
Some of her most recent series is called Mental Rooms. For this occasion, we intereviewed her. Here are her words and work:
-HC: For the how long a have you been doing art?
VM: Formally, for seven years making exposition and being involve in it professionally.
-HC: How did you start creating art?
VM: Since I was little, I felt most comfortable and inspired by my grandmother; she taught art. My family is full of artists but she was the one that got me in touch with art. She taught that art should be important and a part of our everyday lives in order to understand the world.
-HC: Is your work influenced by certain concepts or themes from your cultural heritage?
VM: Yes, a theme that influences my art culturallywise is the use of vibrant colors since all my tropical surroundings create a vibrant color palette around every corner.
–HC: What’s the first artwork you’ve ever sold?
VM: I believe that the first piece of art work that I sold was a commissioned sketch for a gallery. But I have also sold plenty of other sketches before that specific one.
-HC: What do you consider your artistic style?
VM: I consider my art to be a figurative expression with some inspiration of imagery. But I still don’t consider I have my own style yet. I’m still trying to figure it out because there are many different formats.
-HC: What is your most important tool as an artist? Is there something you can’t live without in your studio?
VM: My most important artistic tool is paper. It’s the most essential aspect, a number one priority. Tools I can’t live without in my studio are pencils and ink is also a necessity.
-HC: What inspires your art?
VM: Every day is an inspiration, living with a spark of cartoonish ideas in the universe.
-HC: Do you work at home?
VM: Yes, I have my own studio, it’s mystical. It is literally on a lake. I also work outside to wander into nature and do art where one cannot be disturbed.
-HC: How have you developed your career?
VM: By studying since it develops a discipline for my art form and production. I also keepa just–do-it mentality.
-HC: How do you promote your art page?
VM: Currently working on a page but for now I post most of my work on instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/floresdesicodelia/