Since my childhood, I have always wanted to be an artist. Growing up in Brazil, I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by beautiful paintings by my grandmother,who painted until her last days. My work has developed at a very steady pace and at times in a very suprising way. I am self-taught and started painting in 2001 as a way to escape from the real world and the real problems. At first, my work reflected my thirst for color and warmth in a city where winters can really affect you. However, the long periods of cold weather did not stop me from loving Boston and all it has to offer. That is when I, almost inadvertently, started portraying my surroundings in bold, cheerful, and colorful acrylics that bring out the true livelihood behind the Bostonian architecture. So far, I have had dozens of shows in busy cafes, restaurants, libraries and galleries; all of which brought me a lot of both financial success and popularity. It is really great when someone comes to one of my shows and tells me that he/she has seen and admired my work before. I recently painted one of the Cows that were grazing the city of Boston this summer (2006). CowParade is a fundraiser that benefits Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund.