Bluff Shadows Print

Aruna Rao is a Florida-based painter who creates vibrant coastal landscape paintings in Oils. Her work primarily explores the beauty of light, color, and atmosphere in the landscape. Aruna was born and raised in a literary family in India. Exposed to world literature and art from a young age, she discovered the work of French impressionists like Degas, Monet, and Van Gogh, which first sparked her interest in painting. Immigrating to the US in 1996, she worked in Information Technology before rediscovering her passion for painting in 2013. She decided to enroll in the MFA Painting program at San Francisco’s Academy of Art University. Her love for nature and travel, prompted her to focus on the landscape genre of painting. After graduating with top honors, she has been painting full-time since 2019. She has lived and painted in various parts of the US, from Michigan to California to the mountain ranges of Colorado. She now resides in Central Florida, which she is happy to call home. Never too far from the ocean and beaches, she enjoys exploring and painting Florida's picturesque coastal and tropical scenery. Her art has been accepted into regional and international juried shows such as the Oil Painters of America and ARC Salon. She has also been featured in the 2020 'Artists to Watch' section of the Southwest Art Magazine. When not in her studio painting, she loves spending time with her husband and her two adorable cats. You can find more about her and her work on her website