From an early age, I was always very close to Nature. Born and raised in El Monte, a small little town in Chile, I grew up in a spectacular country always close to the mountains and never far from the ocean. My unexhausted adventure spirit always took me to the most spectacular landscapes around the globe.
Ink, watercolor, oil paint, acrylic, charcoal, and pencils, never were strange techniques, to me. When it comes to drawing and painting, shapes, forms, and colors easily appear in my hands. Nature is been the source of all inspiration, always.
As a professional nature guide, I worked in the most spectacular places from Iguazu Falls and Amazonian Rain Forest to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. As a world traveler, I explored the most amazing places on earth. Always traveling with a small notebook and a set of watercolors.
A remarkable trip that I have done was to the Amazonian rain forest where I expended a few months doing my professional practice for university and learning more about the amazing nature and biodiversity that lives in the Tambopata National Park in Peru, this hotspot is the habitat of many species, not only birds but also mammals, reptiles, and many insects. To be surrounded by this wonderful environment inspired my first work as an illustrator, I created a field guide to Tambopata birds.
To wake up at 4.30 am to do some bird watching was never a problem. A season working as excursion guide in the Atlantic rain forest in the Iguazu Falls area, nourished my knowledge about birds and wildlife, by sharing the experience with a select team of biologists, ornithologists, and guides. I became a bird-watching guide and also I created a field guide of the Atlantic Forest Birds.
When the pandemic arrived in 2020, my life experienced a “plot twist”, my nomadic life took an indefinite break, giving me the time, tranquility, and the chance to settle for a while and start working, in a more serious way, on artistic projects at home, in Chile. This is when “Nativa Aves Ilustraciones” was born. Mostly inspired by birds, animals, and plants, I became a full-time illustrator, completely dedicated to exploring new artistic techniques and learning by myself to represent nature in a real and a poetic way. Understanding art as a very powerful tool for environmental education.
For the last past years, I also became a teacher, sharing my knowledge through social media, in open classes where everybody is welcome to explore the illustration techniques, bringing art and nature to many homes in different countries, and creating a small little virtual community that cares about nature, and use it as an artistic inspiration.
This skill took me to the most exciting projects such as botanical illustration for books, I have worked on the illustration in two different books about native flora in Chile, one of them called “Mirtáceas en la Flora Silvestre de Chile: Historia Natural y Situación Actual” and the other one is named ¨Arboles de Chile¨ (Trees of Chile), during the development of this project I learned a lot about native flora and the fascinating process of botanical illustration, besides working with recognized botanical illustrators and scientists, I had the chance to keep learning about the complexity of botanical art.
Also, I have got invited to participate in two di “erent projects related to environmental education. The first one was to draw and paint all the species that live in Pedro de Valdivia wetland, to be able to create educational panels along an interpretative trail design for environmental education. The second one was to illustrate an infographic for a project held in my hometown as well, so I worked with a group of biologists and designers to create the Ecopark, a place to restore nature, and a place that is also a recycling and environmental education center. I also collaborated on a museum creation, illustrating part of the Tipaume Natural Reserve History, it was a very important olive oil factory during the past century. Part of my work can be found in interpretative walks and educational centers, in botanical books about native flora in Chile, and some of my major pieces will be on permanent exhibition in the Museum of Tipaume, Natural Reserve.
Nowadays I work as an expedition guide on board of the M/N Stella Australis, sailing to the most remote and unexplored areas in the world, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, where I have the chance to be in contact with nature every single day, being in touch daily with species like whales, dolphins, sea lions, albatrosses, penguins, petrels, condors, eagles. During the landings, I also have the chance to explore the sub antarctic forest from mosses and mushrooms to a spectacular forest and incredible glaciers.
