Melissa Casanova

Taimautia

48 x 36 x 1"

Mixed Media and Oils on Canvas

$4---

Taimautia means “Good Morning” in Taíno — the first language spoken on the island that shaped my roots. This painting is a love letter to that first light, when the day feels new and full of promise. I’ve always loved roosters — their colors, their confidence, the way they announce the day. Maybe it’s because they feel like both guardians and me

Artist Statement:

I paint bold, colorful work that sits between abstraction and realism. The figure is often my entry point, usually through a female lens, but the work is less about identity and more about presence, emotion, and internal shift. I am interested in the moment when something begins to change, when clarity and uncertainty exist at the same time.

My Dominican heritage informs the work through color, rhythm, and atmosphere rather than literal narrative. Memory shows up in layers, patterns, and light, in surfaces that feel built, worn, and reworked. I want the paintings to carry a sense of history without explaining it

My process is fast, physical, and intuitive. I begin with movement and instinct, then build structure through layering. I work with acrylic, oil, ink, charcoal, spray paint, and collage, allowing marks to remain visible. I like surfaces that show their evolution. Scraps, fragments, and imperfect edges are part of the language of the work, not something to correct.

I am drawn to contrast: graphic shapes against painterly passages, softness beside impact, control beside surrender. I want the work to feel alive, unfinished in the best way, open to interpretation. These paintings are meant to invite the viewer in, ask them to slow down, and find their own meaning inside the work.