I’ve always looked up to artists; but one kind of art I’ve been especially in awe of lately is mural art.
How long does it take to create something so beautiful? And what drives people to be so patient and so passionate about that particular art? Anina Rubio is a freelance visual artist who paints murals every now and then.
In 2016, Anina apprenticed for an international artist during a mural festival. They painted a huge wall (9 floors high, 50m wide) on a gondola under the blazing heat for 10 days. That’s when she fell in love with mural painting.
“I like how that form of art challenges both physical and mental aspects of myself,” she shares.
“It pushes me to constantly improve, be more efficient, and deal with fears.” (She admits she is actually afraid of heights.)
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Anina is deeply inspired with nature and wants to push for conservation through her works of art, constantly creating and using different mediums. “Recently, I have been obsessing over these aquacolor pencils from Stabilo so when I work on small personal projects, like my Seavolution series that’s dedicated to marine conservation, I use those.”
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“When I need to review my brush calligraphy skills (trivia: I started in the art industry as a calligrapher), I use Zig Kuretake brush pens. I do plant journaling, as well, and I use my pigmented Mijello watercolor paints for that. I squeeze in anything I can that’s not related to murals, to be honest.
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As an artist, Anina feels fulfilled and complete when she can paint/create for a purpose. When people smile and get inspired to do something for the environment, it’s a good validation that she’s doing something right. In fact, the most fulfilling piece Anina has done so far is her mural for shark conservation. People have this bad perception of sharks; but in reality, these creatures play a big role in balancing population in the underwater ecosystem.
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“I wanted people to shift their perception about these marine species and lean towards protecting them through small acts of living a sustainable lifestyle, and of course, on a more technical manner, sign the petition in pushing for the Shark Conservation Act in the Philippines,” she explains.
Join her acrylic painting workshop for beginners on March 9 here.
Anina Rubio
Website: https://www.aninarubio.com
Instagram: @aninarubio
