It was an ordinary day. Reading about a young Chilean artist and psychologist named Claudia Romagnoli Espinosa who found her way to art through what she considers unexpected events. Those events, all linked to her family roots and life itself, allowed her passion for creation to bloom. It was twenty-one years ago, just days before the birth of her third daughter, that Claudia decided that she was going to be a sculptor! Up until that moment, her interest in art had been nothing special. She was devoted to her family, her therapeutic practice and sports. Then she got an invitation from her sister which pushed her into a creative adventure. And...as they say...the rest if history. For many years she had painted and filled her house with paintings as well as holding multiple painting exhibitions in cafes, restaurants and community cultural centers. Then, another unexpected event happened: A friend of her’s invited her to participate in a workshop led by an expert of Japanese embroidery technique known as sashiko. She learned to embroider, absolutely amazed by the beauty and elegance of the threads and patterns. By the time the course was over...she was hooked. It was the turning point in her life. She fell in love with her work and progresively became very interested in all kinds of threads, linens, pieces of cotton, wool and cord. Those elements would become part of her artistic work. The love of textile art comes undoubtedly from her Italian paternal family. Here grandfather, who came to America to try his luck, ended up building a spinning mill with his own hands. He dedicated a great part of his life to working with all kinds of yarns, cotton and wool. On her Chilean mother’s side, the love of art and creation goes back to her grandmother, Marta, her uncles and her great-aunt. They explored the arts of watercolor, oil and charcoal. A few years ago when the pandemic arrived, a friend showed her a picture of a Norwegian artist’s work with seashells. The following month, when the quarantine ended, she went to the beach with her husband. She stopped and stared at a seashell lying on the sand. She picked it up and was overwhelmed just looking at it. She was hooked! The first shell she collected was a navajuela. She began a process of discovery and appreciation for the different forms, textures and colors of every seashell. It was at that point that her artistic life began. Check out the work that Claudia has accomplished since that fateful day...21 years ago! It was another extraordnary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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