Valentina Dorsa greeted me at the door with a smile, a cute-as-can-be Chiweenie pup, and a (very welcome) offer of a (delicious) espresso. It felt like home right away.

Valentina is a painter who uses accessible, mixed media to create rich, diverse work -- sharpie pens, spray paint, salvage wood, packing supplies, and craft-store-variety acrylic paints are all present and in use in her studio, and her collection includes darling pocket-sized studies of cacti from the American southwest, as well as bold, texture-rich drip paintings that sometimes hint of poppies, sometimes of lanterns, and sometimes of an underwater wonderland. Both of these series are informed by her travels around the world, which have landed her in (among other places) Hong Kong and Britain. But perhaps her most striking -- and personal -- work is a collection of self-portraits based on selfies taken with her phone. Valentina has been on an introspective journey of self-(re)discovery, and as part of it, she has taken on this deeply intimate, beautiful project that allows her to reflect on her own body and self-identity as an individual, a parent, and an artist.

Valentina's work is on display at Dolce Neve Gelato, Reclaimed Wood ATX, and my favorite local restaurant, Lenoir.

She'll also be at West Austin Studio Tour (May 13/14 and May 20/21). Go check her out!

To inquire about artist-at-work sessions, click here.