I cannot remember a time when painting hasn’t felt like the truest, most innate way to express myself. I have been painting since I was 2, and I don’t see myself ever stopping. When I put my energy into giving life to the stories I create, the art in turn fuels me and reignites my passion. My name is Anna Vesta Marise Flores. I am a California-based visual artist, specializing in murals and live wedding painting, whose practice is rooted in a love of storytelling and the beauty of everyday life. I have experience in a wide variety of media, but I work primarily in oil and acrylic paintings because painting allows me to achieve realism while keeping an expressive human touch, such as visible brushstrokes. My work is detailed yet dynamic, often vibrant, and reflects the little details of humanity, nature, or the animal world. My art process begins with brainstorming ideas and concepts through sketches or collages of reference photos, which I source from stock photography or take myself. I then get feedback from clients or other artists and make final changes to the concept before preparing my surface and creating a sketch or underpainting. Finally, I paint the piece using my knowledge of values and color theory.

In recent years, I have expanded my studio practice into the ventures of both live wedding painting and mural painting. I am so inspired by love, connection, and fashion, and that passion shines through in my live wedding paintings. With murals, I enjoy translating the techniques and attention to detail I use on canvas to much larger surfaces while considering how artwork interacts with its surrounding architecture. I am particularly drawn to public art because of its ability to make the art world accessible and to create a sense of connection within a community. My goal is to combine my fine-art background with storytelling to create murals that are visually engaging and meaningful to the people who encounter them.

- Anna Flores