Conversations with Paula Valenzuela

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paula Valenzuela.

Hi Paula, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have made art since I can remember. As a child I was always making mandalas, drawing and trying new combinations of colors. Growing up I had classes with very good Chilean artists, but always kept my art-making as a private passion that I shared with a small community.

I studied Clinical Psychology in Chile and Public Health at UC Berkeley and after working for many years as a psychotherapist with women and families in Chile, I moved with my husband and three kids to the Bay Area in 2013.

Coming to the US was an opportunity to start all over again, redefine what I really wanted to do, go back to my creative practice and remember how much I loved making art. I started learning from other artists and realized that by creating art I was fulfilling the need to express what I couldn’t say in words and also was a way of healing and self-discovery. I realized that I’ve always wanted to become an artist but I was afraid at the time or haven’t given it the necessary space in my life. So, there was no way back and I needed to pursue this dream and put all my efforts to make it happen. Then I never went back to my clinical practice, joined an art community, rented a studio and started from there.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was not easy to start a second career as a professional artist in a foreign country and without knowing anything about the art business or the local art scene. I had no idea how to begin but I knew that there was no way back and this was what I always wanted to do. So, I joined several art programs, in person and online, and learned from great artists and mentors, about the art practice, the creative process and how to run a small business too. I started showing my work to a larger audience, participated in juried competitions, art fairs and every opportunity that I had. I discovered who resonated with my work and now is collected in the US and Chile.

Being an artist is a full-time job that never ends. There is always something that needs to be done, the creative aspect is one but there is also the marketing, social media, writing about your work, business part of it, etc. It can be difficult sometimes to manage all those things and also leave time apart for the rest of your life.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I make art because I feel the need to visually express my feelings and thoughts in order to understand them and make sense of the world around me. Making art is a way of discovering, coming back to myself and being present. I feel the most alive when I’m creating and I would like to continue doing so the rest of my life.

The inspiration for my work comes from the textures, colors and organic forms found in nature, especially the desert, the skies and the collective symbols used by ancient cultures. I rely in my previous training as a clinical psychotherapist to explore the connection of darkness and light within us, the complexity of our personality – what we show to others and what we keep to ourselves – and the interconnection of conscious and unconscious aspects in our lives. I’m interested in exploring the space between reality and daydreaming, where the unconscious aspects of our inner world can come to the surface, making visible what was invisible before.

My process is almost archeological, and I like to use mixed media materials and all different tools. I build the paintings by layers, adding acrylics, paper, mediums, pigments, rust and then painting polygonal shapes or symbols that appear and disappear as I endlessly edit the surface. I remove parts, cover everything again, scratch the layers, make dents and new marks, adding later more layers that bring the hidden history of the marks to the surface. It is a process of revealing and hiding.

I like to make art that makes you wonder and look deeper, that connects to your inner world in some way.

In this process, I’ve learned the importance of establishing a consistent creative practice and to focus on the process more than the results while making art. Mistakes are welcome and are a fun way of experimenting and learning something new about myself and the materials that I enjoy working with. It has been very important to me to follow my intuition in moments that I’ve needed to take risks and not to listen too much to my inner critic.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
One of the best advice that I’ve received were to set up clear intentions and follow them through, join a community of artists and be generous on sharing what you I’ve learned so far. I’ve had great teachers and mentors, both in Chile and the US and I’m especially grateful for the artist community that I am part at the ICB in Sausalito. It’s a supportive and generous group of artists at different levels in their careers and we all share our knowledge and experiences.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.paulavalenzuelaart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulavalenzuelaart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulavalenzuelaart/

Image Credits
Doug Kaye and Margot Hartford