Claudia is a working artist, illustrator, and educator living in Ventura, CA.
I'm originally from Lima, Perú, where I was that kid who drew constantly, in notebooks, my dad's Bond paper (remember it?), even on the walls! I couldn't help myself; every surface was an opportunity for expression. I spent a lot of time drawing, collaging and painting, with zero inhibitions. Those early years of constant creating shaped everything about how I see the world, and honestly, I haven't stopped since.
I got my Master's from Cal State University and now I split my time between teaching art to college students and creating in my studio. I like stories. I like stories about art. Art history often sneaks into everything I do, whether I'm lecturing or painting.
In my studio, I bounce between painting, drawing, and digital work the way I do between Spanish and English. I love language, too. I'm sure my bicultural upbringing is embedded in my work. I'm drawn to narratives of strength, resilience, and that quiet space between observation and imagination.
My palette lives in the bold and vibrant zone because life's too short for timid colors. I'm all about empowered characters, organic linework, and stories that lift people up.
You'll often catch me making "viewfinders" with my hands whenever I see something that catches my attention: an interesting shaped shadow in a corner or the way light hits the leaves of a plant through the window. What really gets me going is finding the visual equivalent of an idea. Figuring an idea out in pictorial form--that's my happy place.
I'm in Ventura with my family, probably with paint on my forehead, and definitely with another idea brewing.