About

Loretta Reyes-Cairo

I create art to share love and beauty. In this digital age, there is so much that is instant but temporary, free but fleeting, available but shallow. Original art grounds us and elevates us. I strive to build upon a long tradition of masterful artists and champion the highest in humanity.

I had another career for many years, but my first two sons died as little babies and left me searching. Art has helped me process my grief, explore deep feelings, and find hope. I have been able to connect with so many bereaved mothers through this work, and I feel as though this is part of my purpose. I now have living children with loves and challenges of their own. I get up early every morning to work in my home studio and always work to find balance between my duties as a mom and my goals as an artist.

My paintings often start as a feeling that turns into a phrase I can write down. Then I sketch based on that idea; research, often through photo reference; build a composition; then draw and paint. It can sometimes take months or years to take a painting from concept to completion. When I complete a painting in a few weeks it's usually because I've been pondering the idea for a long time. I like to work on multiple projects at once. It lends variety and freshness to my workflow.

My work is personal and also universal. So much of what we experience is shared with others. I love small paintings because they are so intimate and personal. It's also an affordable way for people to own original art, not just reproductions or prints. There is something special about witnessing the actual painting—what the artist really worked on. As good as reproductions are, the original painting has texture and variations of opacity that just cannot be duplicated any other way.