Inspired by the wild beauty of Arizona, Serena Rios McRae of Cactus Clouds Art draws and paints her desert surroundings in a colorful and whimsical way.
She is most known for her watercolor paintings and digital artwork of desert flora, fauna and landscapes.
She even dabbles in print work and makes stickers.
As a kid, McRae grew up in an artistic family, but she never thought she was going to make this a career.
βI never felt like I was as good as my brothers were (at art),β she said. βThey could just pick up anything and make stuff. They were always doing really interesting things.β
When she came across watercoloring, she knew right away that she had chosen something she was good at.
βIt didnβt take tons of effort,β McRae said. βIt was what I was waiting to find.β
McRae ran a boutique for three years before she discovered her career in art and closed up shop to pursue watercolor and other artwork as her full-time job.
βItβs been so edifying and so cool,β McRae said.
Her artwork ranges from splatter watercolor to vibrant modern desert shapes, as she is not a fan of straight lines or cleanliness, but her pieces never lack in color.
βI think people like that a lot because itβs kind of like life,β McRae said.
McRae has an online shop and social media sites where customers can find any of her watercolor pieces, prints, T-shirts, stickers or card sets that she has available for sale.
βThe other thing that I talk a lot about is that I had really terrible postpartum depression when I had my girls, and that has been a huge inspiration in all of my art and my whole art journey,β McRae said. βI try to put a real positive spin on that.β
She has been working on affirmation cards for new moms, with her colorful touch added to the deck and uplifting messages written on each card.
