Valentina's Fruit Basket Art Print 8x10"

Although I feared the label "artist" for a long time, it has felt like the only way to describe myself from a very young age. I spent my childhood making things out of paper maché and old recycling we had around the house. Later, I turned to acrylic landscapes in my teenage years as a way to escape the world and cope with all the changes teenagers go through.

Fast forward a few more years, I ended up in Fashion School at Toronto's Metropolitan University. With my Bachelor of Design, I learned the ins and outs of fashion illustration, which is how I started my career as an artist & illustrator. In my early 20's, I worked hard and got lucky enough to work with clients such as Lana Del Rey and (more recently) BE KIND. by Ellen.

After spending about four years doing freelance work and custom illustrations on a full-time basis, as well as selling my art prints through Etsy and wholesale, I still felt a longing for something more... I started craving the feeling of moving my brush along a canvas in a loose and fun way, without so much emphasis on detail as seen in my previous illustration work.

I am working on developing my art even further through acrylic and oil paints. I'm a big believer in life-long growth, and made a promise to myself early on in my career that I would always strive to follow my joy, no matter what.