“What we get from life is the life we get.”

45 years on a long and hard learning road. Since my first exhibition at the age of 13, I never stopped making Art. I believe we are born artists – it’s something intrinsic to us. A visceral energy, a seed planted in our being that eventually blooms.

It’s not just technique, it’s in our soul. It’s a way of looking at the world. We see Art in everything, an artistic look that sees poetry in everything, even in sad moments.

I was born in Minas Gerais, but in my teens, I moved to Pará. A great lesson soon came from contact with the baroque of Minas Gerais. I was enchanted with the churches of the historical cities, Aleijadinho’s paintings, mystical and religious drawings. From there comes a symbol that much appears in my works today, the white dove.

Gusmão's studio

Gusmão’s studio

In Pará, another great learning experience was living close to the forest, the opportunity to visit the Indigenous Village of Caiapós, where I could learn a little about their vibrant culture. Spending a season with them, I learned a bit of body painting and pottery. Being there, so close to the Amazon rainforest, a culture rich in colors. Even on rainy days, when the clay flows in its earth color, it is something inspiring. These colors are still part of my works.

Art is the interpretation of what is in front of us. I graduated in Psychology, and I also studied Architecture and Philosophy, and all this had an influence on my Art. I have works inspired by literary texts from authors like Dostoyevsky.

When people ask me how long it takes me to paint something, I answer “my age.” Because what is on the canvas is the result of experiences and learning processes that are personal to each artist. Art is an addition.

When my career was stabilized and bearing fruit in Brazil, and I was regularly participating in artistic events and exhibitions, I moved to the United States after a significant change in my life. Living only by Art in Brazil is very difficult. However, I received a Green-card for extraordinary skills in the Arts, and I started all over again!

I won’t say it was easy. Beginning anew, in another country, learning a new language, until building, brick by brick, a successful story, with my works displayed in the biggest interior design stores, awards won, is no picnic, but the walk is worth it. In 2017, I made the biggest exhibition of my life in Miami, celebrating my 40 years of Art. It was a significant milestone in my career, with an excellent response from the public. My book It’s Amazing, which will be released by Editora Livr(a), will bring more of this journey, which I hope will inspire women to run after their dreams.

Even before I became a Life coach, I was always a grateful person for everything that happened in my life. But taking the Mary Morrissey “Life Master Course” has enabled me to help more people who dream of being able to live off their Arts.

Today, I am grateful for living with my husband in Michigan, on a property surrounded by nature. I continue to do what I love most – painting, teaching arts, art-therapy, art-meditation, passing on to people the magic of Art. Art heals. In this pandemic, what saved us was Art – the books we read, the movies we watched, the music on the balconies, the painting, and the handicraft, and even the tidying of the house.

What we get from life is the life we get. Make your mark. That’s the teaching I always carry with me.