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Q & A with Tesoro Carolina

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How did you get into art?

 

I guess the beginning would be my mom. She saw that I was a hyperactive child and instead of giving me computer games she always bought me arts and crafts kits. She always gave me something to do. By the time I was old enough to ask for things, that’s what I would ask for. I was home schooled most of my life. I never had the opportunity to develop in high school art classes. When I got to college I took two key classes that changed my life, figure drawing by Jennifer Basil and Intro to photography by professor Tony Chirinos.

Meet Tesoro Carolina, born in New Orleans and raised in sunny Miami this young artist has always been a Miami girl, with some serious talent….

When did you start to take art serious?

 

When I was about 19 or 20. I knew when I started college that all I wanted to do was submerge myself in the arts. At first I was really apprehensive and I did not feel like the art world was for everyone, like only blessed prodigy children. Little by little I learned that I can do it, I can do what I like. I quit school and began apprenticing at a tattoo shop, I was able to learn from all different types of artist. I found work with amazing and talented curator Anthony Spinello, whom really opened up my artistic pallet as well as aid my thirst to create art of my own.

What medium did you start out with?

 

I started with what came easier to me and photography was the first thing that I could do. When I was a young girl I was always fascinated with the fact that you can capture moments like that. It was almost insane. It blew my mind. I started taking pictures and little by little I would just start drawing on the side.

Do you still do photography now?

 

Yes. My photography is mainly about people. I do not do scenery photography. It is all about portraits. One of my jobs is with the Miami New Times. They send me to events and I take pictures of people having a good time. I love it. I love the interaction with another person. Usually I have to tell them, hey I wanna take your picture, do you mind? And everyone is ready, posing and acting a fool. I love it! I am not really into catching people off guard just because I feel that it’s unfair. Usually people love it. As soon as I ask to take the picture they do not treat me like a stranger anymore. All of a sudden I become like their best friend. That is one of my favorite things.

When did you start painting?

 

I started painting when I was a young girl . It was not technically good. I would use sharpies and paint the wall. My mom would hate that. When I was five or six I picked up nail polish and painted a wall. I don’t know what gave me the idea but I remember doing it. I have been obsessed with it ever since. When I was 15 I painted a mural in my room without telling anyone.

Obviously you are painting more now and on a serious level. You mentioned your teachers and Anthony Spinello earlier. How did they encourage you?

 

Huge inspiration. Just by being themselves they encouraged me to be myself, too. When I worked with Anthony Spinello he never said, hey you should draw more. Just by him being himself would make me want to make more art and make me want to do my own thing. He is so strong in who he is that I wanted to be strong in who I was, too.

 

 

 

Many of your paintings and drawings feature women. Could you elaborate?

 

I always heard about Mother Nature. I always saw her as a womanly figure. All of us women are Mother Nature. All of us have characteristics that are natural. That was one of my biggest inspirations. Nature is a woman. Being a woman inspires me. It is a man’s world but I feel lucky and privileged to be a woman and that is what I want to portray.

What characteristic in women do you try to bring to the forefront in your art?

I always want to evoke a feeling. All my work is about feeling. My girls won’t be technically perfect but as long as you get some sort of feel from it, whether sadness or happiness, sultry or sexiness, that is what I want to evoke. A woman is a person of feeling and a lot of soul. 
You are also training to become a tattoo artist. How do you feel about using the body as permanent canvas?

It is very scary. I think that is one of the reasons it has taken me so long to get started. I really do not want to permanently scar somebody. I have been trying to prolong it so by the time my first time comes around it is not too bad. 
How exciting is it though to think of someone walking around with one of your creations.

Very exciting. I feel very honored when people tell me, I am waiting for you,  or, hey I am saving that piece of my skin for you. That is a big deal to me.  
You have quite a few tattoos yourself. Tell us a bit about them please

Right now I have about 22 tattoos. One on my leg says “Life is Just Life” which means “It is what it is.” This is special because the person who said that quote was a tattoo artist. One of the oldest tattoo artist I have met. After he said it I begged him to tattoo it on me. He is a Miami artist by the name Yarino Argote. He is an older man but he is a monster, an inspiration. On my right leg I really wanted it to look like I had one foot in the garden at all times so we just did the flowers from Alice in Wonderland. I also have Gene Kelly from Singing in the Rain and I have a Dorothy. She is scared. Then I have a Polaroid camera on my forearm and a Wu Tang Hello Kitty sign. On my wrist I have an ant carrying a diamond. That is my work tattoo. It symbolizes all the hard work I want to put in. I have a My Little Pony tattoo and I have a sleeve of a woman turning into a tree, or a tree turning into a woman, depending on how you want to see it. 
What is the story or inspiration behind that tattoo?

The woman and the tree is one of the first tattoos I got. I chose her because I felt she really represents nature, progress and transition. In Greek mythology they tell of nymphs who would turn into trees and then they would turn back into women. I just felt really connected with that.
I see a few diamond tattoos and I have seen you draw them as well. What is the significance of the diamond?

Yes I have a lot of diamonds. It is actually my birth stone because I was born in April but I also feel like it is part of me. Ever since I was a little girl I have always just loved diamonds. It is a representation of being a princess. I am a princess so I have to have lots of diamonds. The diamond is a big symbol for me.
Have you ever been to any exhibition or seen a piece of art that transformed your thinking?

There is a show that I saw of  Christina Pettersson. It was so amazing and so touching. She is such a special person and she puts that into her art work, even if it is a pencil drawing, as soon as you see her work, you get a taste of magic somehow. It really changed my approach and how I see things.
Where do you see yourself going as an artist? Do you have any upcoming exhibitions?

I have never shown per se. My first time ever was for Art Basel Miami Beach last year in this new studio gallery called Viophilia. This year in August I am planning to curate a small show, hopefully with all my friends’ art. This will be the next time I show. I am really nervous about showing. I still feel very self-conscious about my work. I would like to one day opening a non profit organization that allows different artist to travel the world painting store fronts, schools and buildings for third world countries and low income cities or villages. I know I have a long way to go in order to reach my goals but I promise I won't stop till The Lord himself takes me!