Maria Carmela is a freelance artist and art teacher based in San Francisco. She has been painting and drawing for over 20 years in various mediums. Her go-to painting mediums include Oil, Acrylic, Gouache, and Watercolor. She often uses graphite (colored or lead) and ink for her drawing mediums. Inspired by lowbrow pop-surrealism, anime, photorealism, and street art, her visual aesthetic has grown significantly from the traditional techniques from classical realism to what she calls 'Neo-anime'. Having resided in countries around Asia and experiencing different cultures has influenced her art and the messages that she tries to convey.

 

   Maria’s art attempts to have viewers enter her own alternate environment that parallels personal experiences, imagination, and cultures. From those attributes stem an art style that is constantly evolving. She finds that her characters represent the personal, which can sometimes serve as both self-portraits and simply portraits. While showcasing what best reflects her personality and non-spoken messages, this artist is on a journey of finding a balance between grit and softness.