Kristina ayala

Artist's Statement

Life can be rough. Art makes it better. Animals make it better.

I started the school year off with grand ideas of art to create since I was home. However, as many educators can relate, I worked harder than ever and it was difficult to create the work life boundaries that I once had. My existence went from ideas of sculpting and painting a zoo to Zoom.

I had a show to prepare for called the Art Guild of Pacifica's annual Members Show. I won an award in 2019 that had me take on a series of work for the main gallery at the Sanchez Art Center for the 2020 show. I thought I would have all the time in the world. I make most of the art for the October show in the summer and just days before the pieces were delivered. It could have been disastrous but I pulled it off.

Illustrated children's books, scientific illustration, and Japanese block printing have a strong influence on my aesthetic.

My art is a collection of sculptures, paintings, and linocut prints full of color and whimsy. The subjects are often real and imaged creatures. A common motif in my work is the octopus, a liquid animal, an evolved snail without its shell, alien-like. The octopus is resilient, intelligent, and adaptable – all attributes I admire.

I hope my work sparks interest in these unusual creatures because many of them are real animals (and a few are not).

Through learning about animals and creating, I hope to continue my evolution as an artist and educator and inspire others to enjoy the weird world of animals and art.