About

Mia is a camera-shy, largely self-taught, visual artist residing in Northern California. She uses a mix of multiple art media to create her pieces, and dabbles in photography and digital art.

Other than art, she loves puzzles, books (true-crime, thrillers, science fiction, medical mysteries, and history), collecting vintage cameras, podcasts, museums, violin, bike-riding, and traveling. Mia is a firm believer in art therapy and creates both abstract and realism work.

Her abstract work feature leaves and leaf patterns heavily. This obsession began after a near-fatal car accident. She was bed-ridden for a period of time and her cognitive-heavy hobbies were out of the question due to the associated injuries and disabilities. With help, she was able to pour herself back into her artwork that in previous years had taken a backseat as she focused on tackling career goal after career goal in the healthcare industry.

When it comes to her abstract work, she enjoys the freedom of being able to "free-flow." She finds the process very much akin to meditation entangled with play. With regards to her realism work done in pastel, along with her color drawings and studies, she aims to get better with expressing the feeling of the moment. She used to aim for ultra faithful rendering, but has realized, through conversing with other artists, that in actuality she was aiming to express the feeling of the moment but was unable to pin down how. This is a life-long goal that she is happy to keep pursuing.

Outside of the studio, she is often found taking reference photos wherever she goes, and has been nicknamed as the friend group/family historian with how camera trigger-happy she is. She is also very fond of tending to her numerous plants and caring for her and her spouse's children, a pair of black short-haired cats named Loki and Freya.

Mia is a UCLA Alumnus who someday hopes to become a professional artist, but for now, she is happy just Creating For Sake Of The Endorphin Rush.

#MiaMixesMedia

FAQ

  • It began after I was in a near-fatal car accident. I was bed-ridden for a long period of time and I couldn’t anything cognitive-heavy. Even watching TV gave me severe headaches. I missed being outside looking at flora so I decided to paint leaves. It was simple activity that helped me work on my motor skills and keep my mind off of pain and anxiety. A fellow artist would later point out that a lot of the initial pieces looked like they were from the point of view of someone lying on their back, looking up at a canopy. Nowadays, the pieces resemble the point of view of someone upright, looking out a window.

    Painting, overall, eased the anxiety. A few years out now, we realize that it has helped, and continues to help, with my cognitive and fine motor training too. I've still got a long way to go in my recovery but I'm determined to keep working at it.

  • I've sucked at math all my life, but when it came to geometry, especially tessellations, I couldn't help but be in love. There's just something about them that makes my brain buzz in a good way when I figure out a pattern. Nowadays, it takes me a lot longer, but the buzz is the same! I used to doodle fractals a lot in school but I've long forgotten why other than that they're fun, and again, brain buzz!

  • Hilariously enough, no - I'm more of a silver gal, especially with jewelry and accessories. However, with my paintings, I've found that using gold gives the piece a nice "punch" while silver kind of just washes things out. Who knows, maybe I haven't quite found silver paint that I like. I'm always willing to give it another shot.

  • I use a combination of the following: watercolor, gouache, acrylic, oils, ink, acrylic ink, color pencil, pastels, wax crayons, and graphite. For my digital work, I use Krita on my Surface Pro 9. With regards to cameras, I use a Nikon D40, a Nikon D3100, and the camera on my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

  • I like experimenting with different mediums and seeing the different effects produced when two or more are brought together. I also really like being able to supplement the "weaknesses" of some mediums, with the "strength" of others. While there are pieces that I decide to use only one type of media on, I much prefer mixing it up. Experimenting with art materials is just too much fun to not keep going. I get a kick out of creating art from, as Mr. Bob Ross called them, "happy little accidents." If you have any recommendations for materials for me to try next, please reach out and let me know!

  • Absolutely! Please feel free to reach out to me via the contact form below and we can start a dialogue on what you would like.

  • Price of the Piece =

    {[(Length of the Piece in Inches) x (Width of the Piece in Inches)] x 2.5} + Materials + Shipping Cost + Tax

    The blank border does not count towards the price calculation.

    For example, for a piece that is 11"x10" with a 1 inch border, the price is calculated as such:

    {[(11-2) x (10-2)] x 2.5} + Materials + Shipping Cost + Tax

  • Yes, but this is something that I consider on a case by case basis. Please feel free to get in touch and we can discuss it further. Thank you for understanding!

  • It will depend on the size and complexity of the piece. Please feel free to contact me via the form below and we can talk about what you would like.

  • No, I am not. In the words of artist Yuko Shimizu, "It's called 'artwork' because it's real work." Though I am currently neither a high professional nor a famous one, please understand that behind each original piece is hours of my life and lots of meticulous work. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration in advance.


  • I currently have shops via RedBubble, Society6, Threadless. Links to them can be found at the footer of this page. You can order my designs printed on various items like water bottles, bags, towels, and more. I have some original paintings and handmade items sold here in my shop as wetl. My Amazon Wishlist is public and I always welcome help with obtaining materials should you be so inclined. If you are interested in having a piece commissioned, please feel free to reach out via the contact form below.

  • I would be more than happy to answer them to the best of my ability! Please fill out the contact form below!

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