Natalia Virafuentes

I have been drawing since I was little. I would take drawing classes after school at Blaine Elementary. Once I was in Lake View high school, I started attending Marwen classes. That is where I found myself becoming more interested in painting. To me, painting opened up a new world of being free and just experimenting. I attended Marwen and LV from 2004-2008. While I was still at Lake View HS; I took AP Drawing and Painting classes for my junior(\'07) and senior year(\'08) at Gallery 37. I also did the After School Matters Program junior and senior year at gallery37. After h.s., I attended the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, where I was majoring in paintining. I was in MIAD for two years, I soon felt homesick and moved back to Chicago. After a year of not going to school, I finally transfered to UIC in 2011 where I studied Studio Arts for a semester. After being art school for a while I started to see things differently, to the point where I felt like I could grow on my own. I then decided to leave UIC to study massage therapy at The Soma Institue. Best decision ever! Since I have been doing art all my life, I felt like I could try something different. Just because I\'m not studying art doesn\'t mean I\'m going to be stopping anytime soon! I love art! This is only pushing me to do more work! I\'ve graduated school and am now doing some massage therapy work as well as improving my work on the side! This last year has been really great to my art career, I\'ve been able to display my work in so many places around Chicago. Through these events I\'ve met so many great artists and random people! I love the art community. The more we help each other, the faster and stronger we will grow! I have now joined an Art Collective called The Empty Canvas where I have met some great artists that want to become something more! I\'m excited to see where things lead from here :)