‘Red Tree Survives in the Foreground of a Polluted City’

‘Red Tree Survives in the Foreground of a Polluted City’, 2014

Claudine of Claudine Castro Studio

Acrylic on Canvas – 42″ x 32″

I was in my undergraduate career in UC Irvine and I needed to create any piece with acrylic paints on my handmade canvas. It was during the spring of 2014 and I was about to turn 21 that summer. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I was full of anxiety and insecurity; I didn’t know if I had what it took to create a meaningful piece with my skills at that time. So angsty, I know.

Then I thought to myself, “I really like painting trees.” But what could I add in with my tree subject? I guess at the time, I had hope that life would get better, my finances would get better eventually, and I’d find purpose after my undergraduate career. Even though some areas of my life were difficult at that time, I knew there was something good in store for me in the future.

The idea of a polluted city, covered by smoke, as my background came to my head. I just went for it and created this bleak city far in the background, and my red tree in the foreground.

At first, I thought it was just pretty. As time went on, I found more meaning behind it: you can grow in any environment, no matter how bleak it seems. When you’re willing and act out of inspiration consistently, you’ll create something great out of your skills and gifts.

Claudine is Filipina American living in Orange County, CA who, for over 27 years, has been creating pieces ranging from live sketches to acrylic paintings on canvas. She always felt compelled to create, from a toddler drawing on walls in her home in Manila, to an adult, painting murals in Costa Rica.

As her work as an artist evolved over the years, Claudine realized that art can come in different forms and is not limited to technical, rigid practices that she learned in formal education. The pressure of creating art in traditional forms slowly dissipated. Claudine found that creating intuitive, minimalistic paintings from nature & passersby is enough to convey joy and gratitude for the simple things!