Hazy Painting

Hello! My name is Rochelle and I am a 25-year-old oil portrait painter from La Plata, Maryland. At a young age, I discovered my love for art, spending most of my early childhood drawing in my bedroom. As I grew older, I explored performing arts through dance, inadvertently stepping back from visual art until my senior year of high school. While preparing for the next phase of my life, college, I picked up a paintbrush for the first time since elementary school and hasn’t put it down since. Initially focusing on landscapes, I gradually transitioned into portrait painting over the next few years. In 2020, I graduated from Regent University with a degree in business management. During my time at university, I further explored my interest in painting outside of my academic pursuits. Becoming an artist was always my dream, though it wasn’t always supported and often seemed unattainable. Art has been my joy, my peace, and my haven for as long as I can remember. I realized that, despite the passage of time, art had always been my true passion. I chose art because I believe it chose me. In times of confusion, chaos, loss, and pain, I found solace in my creative expression. Eventually, I began to take my art more seriously and started a social media page to share my work. Through this platform, I grew my community and explored new opportunities as an artist. I currently reside in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where I pursue art full-time. Over the last five years, I have showcased my work at several art shows and gallery exhibitions in Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, New York City, London, and Athens. I partnered with Comcast on an art piece and was commissioned to paint a portrait of Judge Greg Mathis. I have recently pursued more community service opportunities with my artwork, such as teaching free paint workshops to children and donating my original artwork for charity auctions that support causes serving underserved groups. My journey as an artist reflects my unwavering dedication and passion for my craft, continuously evolving and hoping to inspire those around me.