"Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction." Pablo Picasso

I believe that your emotional and psychological being is showcased as an artist, whether you like it or not. Every artist creation is inspired and driven by something and its when we truly know the driving force and why its happening that we truly understand ourselves.

Art is therapy and contributes to my sanity and sometimes takes me into the 'dark nights of my soul.' I never know where the journey will lead until its already over.

Staring at my dad's detailed and complex landscape paintings, curiosity struck me and I asked, "Daddy, how do you draw?"

I was four years old.

My dad put a Tang bottle in front of me and a piece of paper. This is the day he taught me how to see.

I tell him he created a monster because for years after that, to his horror, him and my mother found naked men and women drawn in the backs of my coloring books. I had a love of erotica at a very young age and would copy the sexy scenes and bodies of soap operas (even though I wasn't allowed to watch them) and threw myself into this terrible hell of guilt, for I was very ashamed at this secret passion.

As the years progressed and I went through several passages of life, my outlook on my art slowly undressed and exposed itself. I became a makeup-artist and worked with companies such as Chanel, Bobbi Brown, Sephora and MAC. I also started working with top photographers on their shoots and models' faces became my canvas for almost twelve years. My drawings were put on hold but my eye for color continued to develop through the variety of faces that were bestowed upon me. I also started working as a promotional model for several years; which allowed me to meet more and more in the industry. Then one day, a friend gave me a gift...a book, called "The Art of Olivia." This was the spark that slowly burned a flame into my imagination and into the erotic world of Olivia De Berardinis.

In October 2008, my world came crumbling down; my grandmother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She was my world and gave me everything; she saved my life hundreds of times that I'm sure she is not even aware of.

She lost the battle of cancer in March 2009. Now I must continue the legacy of love and compassion, the strength of spirit and the beliefs that she instilled in me. Her beauty comes through in my views of nature and landscapes and the raw emotion you will see in my oil portraits.