isabagar
The Full Story
About me
I grew up in Isla Margarita, Venezuela, a tropical island in the Caribbean Sea. As a child I was drawn to arts and crafts; from weaving and sculpting to jewellery making. I was also in constant contact with nature. I was fascinated by it's untamed beauty, its wildness, its vibrancy, its soothing and exhilarating facets. I was drawn to the myriad of creatures that lived around me and the endless array of pets we raised in our backyard. All these things along with the poignant and humorous family stories of our life on the island left an indelible imprint on my childhood.
Inspired by this deep affinity for the natural world I had dreams of studying biology. However, parental guidance nudged me onto a different path. For over 15 years, I worked in the insurance/financial industry. I don't regret the path I took but as the years passed what once brought fulfilment gradually morphed into a daily ordeal. I needed to embark on a wholly different journey. I realised I was at a crossroads in my life and it became impossible to ignore my desire for change.
beginnings...
Painting came into my life by chance. In my quest to discover summer activities for my children, a friend recommended an art school. Yet it was I who found myself enrolling in painting classes with the artist, Cristina Blanch. Initially, painting became my refuge, a means to cleanse my spirit and disentangle my mind from my previous career. But little by little the influence of painting in my life grew. It helped me embark on a path of self- discovery. Through different mediums; from oil, watercolour, pencil, coloured pencils and acrylics, I began to rediscover my love of nature and explored my deep buried love for animals and plants. I led me to reconnect my childlike wonder of the world. It freed my spirit and in some ways fulfilled my dream of being a biologist, although not through science but through examinating the splendour of the natural world; it's colours, shapes, hues and intricate designs that permeate and influence my art.
...and now
Painting has also allowed me to explore my cultural heritage, my identity and how it has influenced my style. I too have returned to living in nature, spending as much time as I can in the countryside, surrounded by my many herbs, plants and trees. Today painting is my life, a reflection of my ever-evolving creative spirit and a testament to how the natural world will never ceases to inspire me.
