Beatriz Araza

How did your background in fashion design influence the way you approach composition, texture, and color in your paintings?

My background in Fashion Design has shaped the way I see the world visually. I focused heavily on womenswear design, and that experience trained my eye to pay attention to texture, form, and subtle details. In fashion, there is a constant awareness of how fabrics move, how colors interact, and how shapes create emotion. I carry that same sensitivity into my paintings.

I’ve always been fascinated by art and texture, and I often incorporate hand-rendered elements into my designs. Today, that translates into how I layer paint, choose color palettes, and build compositions that feel tactile and intentional. Fashion taught me to approach every piece with purpose, from the placement of every line to the emotion I want the viewer to feel.

Beatriz Araza | Bucket hat

Your work often captures moments of calm and comfort — what draws you to these everyday scenes?

I’m naturally drawn to quiet moments and intimate details, especially those found in portraits and calm scenes. I want my art to evoke emotion, warmth, and a sense of comfort, almost like a visual exhale.

There’s something special about capturing facial features or simple everyday moments that feel gentle and grounding. I paint what I wish to feel more of in my own life: softness, peace, and a sense of being held.

Beatriz Araza | Bucket Hat

In Savor, the play of light and reflection feels intentional. Can you describe your process of studying and capturing light?

Natural light is one of my biggest inspirations, something I learned to observe deeply during art school. I take a lot of reference photos, focusing on subtle shifts in warmth, reflection, and shadow.

I’m especially drawn to soft light and warm tones because they bring a nostalgic, dreamy quality to the subject. When I paint, I study how light touches skin, objects, or spaces, and I try to recreate that quiet glow that feels both intimate and serene.

Do you see a connection between painting and mindfulness in your creative process?

Absolutely. Painting is my way of unwinding. It’s where I feel most calm and present. It has always been therapeutic for me. I paint slowly and intentionally, taking time to focus on details and immerse myself fully in the moment.

It’s the one space where I don’t feel rushed or overwhelmed. Painting allows me to breathe, to reflect, and to reconnect with myself.

How do travel and cultural experiences shape your visual storytelling?

Every place I visit influences me in a different way. Whenever I travel, I make it a point to visit museums, explore neighborhoods, sit in cafés, observe people, and appreciate architecture, interiors, art pieces, furniture, and even food. I genuinely enjoy immersing myself in the culture, I’m naturally a very curious person.

Anything that catches my eye becomes inspiration: a warm color palette from a sunset, a face in a crowd, a beautifully designed space, or even a fleeting moment I notice while wandering. These small observations naturally find their way into my visual storytelling.

How do you choose the subjects for your still-life paintings — are they spontaneous or carefully planned?

Both, but I tend to lean toward careful planning. I usually gather photos I’ve taken and compose them into a collage to create the mood and structure I want.

But inspiration can also strike unexpectedly. Some ideas come from spontaneous observations, and sometimes even from dreams. I like giving myself room to explore while still guiding the composition with intention.

Beatriz Araza | Savor | 2024

How has your transition from fashion to painting changed your creative identity?

I’ve loved art for as long as I can remember. Before pursuing fashion, my main mediums were ink, charcoal, pencil, and oil pastel, and I joined art contests in my school growing up. I never saw painting as my strength, I had attempted it before but eventually gave up.

Everything changed when I went to university. During our design foundation classes, we had a painting course, and my professor saw potential in me. He mentored me closely and even encouraged me to join a national competition. That experience sparked my love for painting.

But after finishing my thesis and eventually graduating, I had to focus on my career in fashion, and painting took a backseat. It wasn’t until recently, when I got sick from stress and had to slow down, that I finally had the space to reflect. That pause gave me clarity. I realized how much joy painting brings me, how it never stresses me out, how it feels like home.

Returning to painting reconnected me with a part of myself I had almost forgotten. It reminded me that art is my true passion, something I want to pursue for the rest of my life. I want to travel, create, and eventually move abroad to continue growing as an artist and as a creative. This transition didn’t just change my creative identity, it brought me back to it.