Do you often pause to consider how your surroundings shape your thoughts, your creativity, or your daily rhythm? Certainly the environments we inhabit become a part of us, molding our perspectives and leaving traces in the way we express ourselves.
Artists throughout history have drawn inspiration from their surroundings. One of my favorite artists, Georgia O’Keeffe, found her voice in the sun-soaked deserts of New Mexico. Monet’s connection to the gardens at Giverny shaped his iconic water lily series. Whether you’re an artist or not, the places we call home leave their mark—on how we think, feel, and express ourselves.
This idea has been on my mind a lot lately as I settle into a new home in an entirely different environment. For me, the two places I’ve called home thus far—Portland, Oregon, and Barcelona, Spain—have been formative. Their landscapes, textures, and cultures have intertwined over the years, shaping the way I approach space, color, and form every time I step into my studio.
Portland, a grounding presence of earth and rain
Growing up in Portland meant being surrounded by the rhythms of nature—the steady drizzle of rain, the lush green of temperate rainforests, and the textures of rotting wood and moss-covered stones. The Pacific Northwest’s landscapes have a quiet strength, teaching me to appreciate the beauty in organic details.
The experiences of my youth shaped my love for tactile art. Working with clay feels like an extension of the rivers and forest floors I explored as a child. Its earthy texture, slow rhythm, and grounding energy resonate with this part of the world. Clay demands patience and presence, qualities that align with a slower, deliberate pace of nature.
But Portland isn’t just about stillness. It has a playful, quirky edge. People there embrace the offbeat and strange in a way that feels unpretentious. For this reason, I’ve always admired people and art with a certain unapologetic individuality. It’s what gives me a sense of freedom to experiment, to not take things too seriously, allowing a certain playful streak to run through my pieces.
You can find it in the asymmetry, surprise textures, and pieces that evoke a sense of curiosity. Even my most grounded works often carry an element of unexpected twist—a form that’s slightly off-kilter or a texture that catches you by surprise.
Barcelona, a mosaic of culture and color
Barcelona, on the other hand, is electric—alive in a way that’s hard to describe.
My many years living in the Raval district have been their own kind of education. Known for being one of Europe’s most multicultural neighborhoods, Raval draws people from South Asia, North and West Africa, Latin America, and beyond. Raval’s character, expressed in its community, food, art and festivals is a little rough around the edges, yet always full of life.
There’s an energy to the neighborhood that seeps into my life and my work. The textures of crumbling facades, the swirl of voices in multiple languages, and the colors of street markets and festivals inspire me to play with new ideas.
Moreover, the influence of Gaudí’s colorful mosaics spread across Barcelona is hard to escape!
It’s not just his style that inspires me—it’s his way of embracing imperfection and making beauty out of brokenness. That’s a philosophy I carry into my own work, repurposing broken ceramics into something new. It’s about finding beauty in the cracks and fragments, much like the city itself.
Blending worlds
In both cities, I’ve discovered the freedom to create, though each offers its own rhythm. The blending of urban and wild, coastal and forested, is part of who I am.
Each influence offers something unique. Portland’s grounding, earthy spirit gave me space to root my work in calm and slowness, while Barcelona taught me to embrace imperfection and the energy of urban life. Together, these places have shaped a vision that honors nature and celebrates the beautiful messiness of humanity.
As I begin a new chapter—still in Spain, but closer to nature—I find myself reconnecting to the landscapes that first shaped me. The Mediterranean forests, with their pine needles, craggy rocks, and aromatic herbs, are different from the lush, damp greenery of the Pacific Northwest, but they evoke the same sense of wonder. I’m excited to let this new environment weave its way into my creative process, blending my experiences into something fresh.
How do the landscapes or cities you’ve lived in reflect who you are?
What textures, colors, or rhythms from your surroundings resonate with you? How do the places you’ve lived in find their way into your work, your style, or even the way you see the world? Let’s continue the conversation in the comments below!
