I adapted by becoming an observer
I was born into a family of artists on both sides: painters, writers, dancers, musicians and actors. When I was four years old my mother moved my father and me from Valencia, Spain, to Irvine, California, where she obtained a master's degree in theatre arts. Being transplanted abruptly and having my parents' marriage soon fall apart undoubtedly shaped me: I no longer identified with a single culture; nor with a single family unit; nor with anything conventional. I adapted by becoming an observer, specifically, an observer from the wings of a stage. Watching my mother move in and out of different characters, costumes, eras, and plots was a great teacher, and I came to appreciate how language, story and design are used to describe the human condition so artfully.
Fast-forward many, many years and I return to Valencia to attend art school, and then Pasadena to attend more art school, and eventually I meet David, the young actor whose role it is to play my mother's son-in-law. Ours was a case of life imitating art. We knew pretty instantly we were destined for one another, so we did what destined people do: date, get engaged, find stable jobs, get married, have kids.
In 2005 we were ecstatic to learn I was pregnant with a son. However, in a routine ultrasound we learned something was off. On May 17, 2006, Charlie was born with a rare disease in which his lungs simply stopped developing in utero. He languished on a ventilator for one month until dying peacefully in my arms. One year later I became pregnant with twins and both succumbed to the same deadly disease.
What life experiences define us as artists? Better yet, what makes us able to explore the most profound parts of ourselves, and then have the courage to share them?
Our story ends happily. David and I have two healthy daughters we adore. There is something humbling yet about being that tethered to loss, and it changes you completely and forever.
I'll be plain here. I haven't really been able to create as freely since. I think about painting all the time, it's a constant burrowing in my chest and at the center of my forehead. Whether I was born an artist or became one through exposure, it is an intrinsic part of me that I would like to find the courage to fully and unapologetically unleash. That would be my greatest wish outside of keeping my family healthy and happy.
Thank you for your time to look at my work and read our story--I genuinely appreciate it.
marapinta@gmail.com / whattsapp+1 858.205.4123
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