Toti Cuesta
Biography
Toti Cuesta is an award-winning watercolor portrait artist who creates mesmerizing works inspired by her natural surroundings. Her main focus/goal is to bring awareness about environmental conservation so that she can share the peace and beauty she finds in it. Her work reflects her profound commitment and love for mother nature.
Her art comes from her connection with the subtle worlds. She wants you to live a magical and transforming experience by mixing in her paintings several planes of reality.
After training as a lawyer and working for many years in the international arena, she decided to pursue her great passion, art, and live a meaningful life.
Art has always had a healing power for her, which led her to train as an Art Therapist and help others heal with art.
She has several international awards. She has recently received the Leonardo da Vinci art award.
Featured by ArtTour International magazine as one of the TOP 60 Masters, her work has been exhibited in places such as New York, Venice, and Zurich, and showcased in several international books and magazines.
What's your background?
Art has always been my great passion and the engine of my life. Since childhood, my creative side has grown increasingly. A side that was understood and valued in my environment as a hobby, but I knew it was much more than that. I didn't understand anything that was going on. So I started an inner search that allowed me to discover who I was and what I had come here to do. It helped me free myself from everything others had chosen, thinking it suited me best but had nothing to do with my essence.
I studied law and languages, and after years of working in the international arena as a lawyer, I decided to pursue my great passion – art – and live a meaningful life. Art has always had a healing power for me, and I trained as an Art Therapist to help others heal with art.
What does it mean to you to win the Collectors Art Prize?
I am very touched and deeply grateful for this recognition of my work and all the love I put into it. I create my art to share it with the world; this is an excellent opportunity to make it known to more people. For me, it is very satisfying to see that collectors can recognize the value of what I do, which comes from the deepest part of my being. It is an expression of myself, of my understanding of the world.
What do you think is the role of art in the world today?
We are living through very significant changes, and I believe that art has a vital role in these changes because it helps us to wake up and see reality differently since it is born from the need to express ourselves, to communicate with the rest of society, to reflect our concerns and try to change the world.
Art connects with our most moving part. If the work interests and captures the viewer's attention, it stops the mind and allows us to observe and awaken consciousness.
Art expresses the artists' feelings about a particular historical moment and is closely linked to our sense of being. The artist, through his creation, transmits not only emotions but also messages and makes us reflect on our existence, social problems, or life in general.
What would it be if you could change one thing about the art world?
It is difficult to choose just one thing because essential changes are needed. Therefore, I would give the artist his rightful place since, through his creation, he transmits emotions and messages and makes us reflect on our existence, social problems, or life in general.
It would also give more opportunities to emerging artists who need help to get ahead in places with few possibilities. So it is crucial to promote talent and creativity.
What are your most significant professional achievements?
I have received several international awards, and my work has been published in numerous books and art magazines. Still, my most important achievement is to continue creating and transmitting my message through art. I am so happy to be painting that I am very fortunate to be able to dedicate myself to it.
What do you wish to tell viewers about your work that might not come out explicitly? What do you hope to inspire with your artwork?
My work is very profound. I want the viewer to connect with the subtle worlds of the universe. Through my art, I invite the spectator to participate in a magical and transformative experience that combines several planes of reality. My work is a tribute to the beauty and power of nature and a reminder of the deep connection between us and the world we inhabit.
My watercolor portraits reflect my deep love and admiration for nature. Through them, I aim to raise awareness of the importance of environmental conservation. I also show the peace and beauty found in nature if we take the time to appreciate it.
What advice would you give to the upcoming generation of artists?
It isn't easy to advise because everyone has different life circumstances, and our own experience teaches us. However, what I have learned over the years and would like to transmit is that whatever you do, you must enjoy it very much, and fill it with love and a sense of life. That will give fullness to the experience of painting and creating artistically.
In what direction would you like to see your career go in the next five years?
My career is going in a good direction as it connects with my sense of life, and I feel fulfilled. I want to get my message across through art that my work helps raise awareness about the environment surrounding us and the care of the planet.
Country Spain
Website www.toticuesta.com
