About the Artist

It's never too late to follow your passion!

I was born in the Philippines during a great flood.  My father had to take mother to the hospital by boat.  All around them was devastation, rice fields just days from harvest all destroyed.  When the nurse asked mom what to name me, she said Esperanza, because we have hope. 

As a young child, I liked to draw and paint with watercolor.  But with house chores, school work, and outdoor adventures vying for attention, that childhood interest was left untended, then forgotten.  

I left home to get an Accounting degree, a CPA license, then by 1994, started a lifelong career as an accountant.  In 2003, I migrated to the US with my two children to work at a local CPA firm in Chicago, IL.  We lived there before moving to Southern California in 2007. 

When my youngest child graduated from university, I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, yet felt empty.  It was then that the spark of interest in painting was kindled in me.  Because I worked full time, I couldn't go to art classes offered on weekdays.  I signed up for an online art class in 2017 and following along with the videos during my free time,  I learned the technique of alla prima oil painting.  I continued to study on my own, seeking out books and other online resources to further my art education.   

As with any skill, one has to keep practicing. To force myself to paint daily,  I joined a 30 paintings in 30 days challenge in February 2018.  A few days into it, I was prompted to add a scripture to each painting I finished and shared on social media.  I donated most of my earlier works to my church, Hope Chapel, as raffle prizes during women's events and to raise funds for missions. 

In November 2018, Chris asked me to marry him at the Sunday service in front of our whole church family.  Three months later, February 2019, we exchanged wedding vows.  

 Then 2020 happened.  Along with many people, I was laid off in the middle of March because of the pandemic lockdown.  I took that time as an opportunity to focus full-time on art. 

I set up my studio space in the second bedroom and dove back into painting.  When the beach was closed, I was inspired to paint a collection of paintings focused on beach life.  I started putting out one painting daily in our front yard so that neighbors will have something to look forward to. I shared the paintings with stories and scripture on social media to spread joy and hope to people in other places.  Before I knew it, the Paintings of Hope Daily Art Show has been showing for a hundred days!  And my home church, Hope Chapel of Hermosa Beach, blessed me by featuring it in the Good News and Milestones.

I also took an online course to learn about the business side of art and worked on my website.  Just as soon as I finished painting my beach life collection and updating my website, I was called back to work. God always has perfect timing, doesn't he?  He gave me two months to get my art business in place, all the while sustaining me with provision and good health.    

My Artist Statement 

I'm inspired by the beauty of the world around us: the varying colors of the sky and ocean at different times of day; the play of light and shadow on plants, objects and structures; the form and expression of people and animals as they go about everyday activities. 

I endeavor to depict in my painting not only these physical elements but also the awe and wonder,  joy and peace I felt when the subject first captivated my attention.  

With each brush stroke transferring the oil paint from palette to panel, I build on the shapes, hues and values utilizing an alla prima technique and an impressionist style, until the painting tells me it is finished. 

Then I sign it with hope, which is my name in Spanish, and affix a bible verse to the painting to give all glory to God, the creator of all things, who gave me this gift. 

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." ~ Ephesians 2:10

I am excited to see where God will take me on this journey.  Come along side me with updates through instagram, facebook or my newsletter (sign up below).

DPW SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW

I was blessed to be featured as the Daily PaintWorks Spotlight Artist in May 2019.  To learn a little bit more about me as I responded to the interview questions, click here.