Around the World
and Back Again

Learning illustration in school was an invaluable experience for me as I honed my skills as an artist. However, it also gave me a box that I felt I had to conform within which became a detriment to my creative practice and the other voice that wanted to be heard outside of children's books. And It wasn't just my art I tried to fit into a box; It was my life. A few years ago I decided to flee the box entirely. Then in 2024 I decided to travel. I went to the Philippines where I met my birth family for the very first time (I'm adopted), and then spent the rest of 2024 and the better part of 2025 in New Zealand. I didn't pursue a creative practice at that time, but after a month abroad it found me.  Through consistent painting the things I love I have developed a style that pays homage to that original box through a hint of realism, while extending far beyond it with the playful application of abstract colors. I hope to capture the world in painting in the same spirit I hope to greet each day: curiously, exploratively and fearlessly.
Find my separate illustrations at www.alinaillustrates.com