Meaning

Hi all,

Most of the paintings I create have no particular meaning, they are just images I connect with and want to recreate in my own style. But sometimes they develop a meaning over time, and today I will talk about how this happened to the painting I made in an electrical box at de Wittenkade, in Amsterdam.

When I first created this design in procreate, it had no meaning at all! It was just a mix of images that went well with each other, and would cover the 5 surfaces of the electrical box. However, when I was asked to give a description to the design, a whole story blurted out of my brain. Now, it feels like it was meant to have this meaning all along.

Here it is. The design depicts the contact between people and nature, and the biases that influence the way we perceive ourselves and the world around us. The people are depicted by the four hands coming out of the ground like flowers, and the nature is depicted by the falling branches with leaves from the top. It explores the contrast between:

1) unbiased perception through the naked eye (sides of the box),

2) perception through an overly positive bias, represented by a beauty mirror (street side of the box),

3) perception through an overly negative bias, represented by the reflection of a broken mirror (water side of the street). 

Seems a bit complex, but it is a topic that means a lot to me. Nature gives me energy, yet life is full of barriers and influences that make it hard to be fully present and truly appreciate its beauty—and how lucky we are to be surrounded by it.

You can see a bit more of the box in this reel. Or come by de Wittenkade 75 to see “my” box, and walk through the street (on both sides of the canal) to see another 6 beautiful boxes, painted by other artists. Great Sunday stroll on a beautiful day.

I am so happy to have a painting out on the street for all the see, and walk past it regularly. I’ve shared how I interpret it (in my overly thinker/analytical kind of way), but I would love to hear if you have a totally diferent interpretation. While I was painting it, I had really fun conversations with people walking by and someone told me the hands looked like zombies coming out of the ground. Loved it!

Until next time,

Rita

Motherhood & Creativity

Hi all,

As a kid, I thought I was not creative. I don’t believe that anymore, and I have my kids to thank for that.

I am the mother 2 amazing girls (9 and 5) and there is a game we love to play: histórias misturadas (in Portuguese), mixed stories (in English). Here is how it goes: my girls define up to 10 different topics and/or people that should be included in a bed-time story and I make it up on the spot. It is so much fun! We always end up with a completely crazy story and way too excited, which is not the purpose of bed-time stories at all! We love these moments, and I believe they contributed to the re-awakening of my creativity. It’s like my brain falls into a completely different mode of operation and possibilities become endless. Giddiness and excitement bubbles up in me when I invent a silly little story with no sense, no laws physics, or constraints to reality (1). Playing this game with my kids made me realize how much I needed to have more fun and creativity in my life.

Suddenly I felt the urge to stat creating something for myself, just because I wanted to. My creative expression has always been drawing, a skill that I had been ignoring for many years. So, in 2022 I decided to make drawing a habit in my life. However, with a career, a household, a family with 2 kids (with all the parties, swimming lessons, music lessons, etc), coming across time to indulge in an activity for myself seemed like an impossibility, until I came across two books. Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear, and Morpho, anatomy for artists by Michel Lauricella, gave me the tools start my regular creative practice. I decided to recreate the drawings in Morpho from start to finish. To create a consistent habit I would draw every single day as soon as my girls were asleep. My sketchbook and pencils were always ready and visible at my desk, so that I would have no excuse not to do it. I could draw as long or as little as I wanted, as long as I did it every single day. I started on 17 March 2022 and it took me 1 month to complete it. You can see a couple of pages of my sketchbook, associated to this blog post. The visible progress was a great motivation, but also the sense of calmness that drawing provided to my brain. 

It is now almost 4 years that I have been creating art by drawing or painting regularly, and it has been very impactful on my wellbeing, which is something for another blog. My kids are my biggest supporters, and there is no better motivation to keep creating.

If you are still here, thank you visiting my website and reading my quick little blog. I wish you a fantastic and creative day. ‘Till next time.

Cheers,

Rita

(1) A small note to mention that I spend my days being a manager in a scientific environment, so being able to do this is quite a relief!

New year, new website

Hi all,

This year, I’ve decided to take my art more seriously, starting by creating this website. Here, I want to share my artwork in a more professional way, talk about who I am, what inspires me, and why I feel compelled to create in the first place. A place to share my thoughts, experiments, blunders, and questions that shape my creative journey. Taking my art seriously also means allowing myself to be seen, even when that feels vulnerable. This has always been hard for me, so it will be a journey in itself.

Equally important to me is getting to know the people who follow my work, and receive feedback from you. How do my portraits make you feel? What draws you in? Do some of my portraits make you feel uncomfortable? - Already happened! Your perspective adds meaning to what I create and helps me grow as an artist. I hope we can start a conversation and create a friendly community.

Besides creating this website, I also hope to begin more collaborations and take on commissioned portrait work. In 2025 I had the opportunity to collaborate with outro disco podcast, with kunst kastjes and also do several meaningful commission portraits for friends. It was creatively challenging, super inspiring, and I am open for more! If you’re interested in collaborating , you can contact me here.

Thank you for being here and for taking the time to read this. I am aiming for weekly updates.

Have a great day! And go create, it’s good for your health!

Cheers,

Rita