For Tucson artist Audrey De La Cruz, art isn’t just about creating something beautiful — it’s also a way to express her lived experiences and connect to an essential part of human culture.
“My art isn’t just my paintings or drawings, it’s the inner world I create. It’s consuming the raw material of the world, the art that exists in it, and reworking it to document my own vision of reality.”
Using ink, watercolors, acrylic paints and digital art programs, De La Cruz creates vibrant illustrative designs of desert landscapes, florals and Arizona wildlife, with a bright, surreal twist.
“I would describe my artwork as whimsical, bold, colorful, and inspired by everything I love and experience,” De La Cruz said. “I like to create work that tells the story of my life as an artist. Each piece is a part of the puzzle. I create a lot of art centered on the desert because that’s what I see every day when I look out my window.”…