Post 1 Introduction- Maria R.

    My name is Maria Ramos, though I prefer to use my artist name Evangeline Saldeno. I’m a pop surrealist painter, and sometimes I am my own biggest inspiration, though gaming, music, and trips to art galleries in Chelsea also spark my creativity. I love working with all sorts of mediums—gouache, soft pastels, acrylics, oils, and even digital programs. My paintings are a direct reflection of my emotional and mental state, so the themes can be pretty unpredictable. Painting is my escape; I get completely lost in each piece, and honestly, it's sometimes hard to let them go when I make a sale.

                

"Morrighan"
Adobe Photoshop

                                                    

"Donut Girl"
Acrylic on Canvas

                                                                  

"Punk"
Mixed Media

"Monsters"
Soft Pastel on paper

"Nightmare"
Adobe Photoshop

        Mark Ryden has been a huge inspiration for me since childhood. My family would bring home art books from Strand, and I was completely captivated by "Blood," a small exhibition book showcasing prints of his work. The paintings in that book explored themes of fear, sorrow, meat, and—of course—blood! While I admire other artists like H.R. Giger, Salvador Dali, and Camille Rose Garcia, I feel a special connection to Ryden's work. What some might consider controversial about his themes, I find compelling.

   

 Quotes from "On Photography" by Susan Sontag:

    “Finally, the most grandiose result of the photographic enterprise is to give us the sense that we can hold the whole world in our heads—as an anthology of images.”

          Photography lets us carry the world in our heads, and of course, our devices everywhere we go. It is like having a personal record of everything we've seen and experienced. 

"Photographs really are experience captured, and the camera is the ideal arm of consciousness in its acquisitive mood."

People always tell me I take too many pictures, but I know myself. I tend to forget easily, and I can’t imagine not having my photos with me when I’m old and dying. I enjoy documenting my life. I want to have these experiences captured to share with my grandchildren.