Born in Moca, Puerto Rico
Lives & works in Tampa, FL
kLoraine grew up in a military household, born in Moca, Puerto Rico and raised in Aguadilla, Puerto with her grandparents and mother while her father was deployed in Greece. Born with mild celebral palsy, she faced many difficulties throughout her life; however, it does not prevent her from pursuing her dreams.
Recently, she graduated from University of South Florida in December 2014 with a Bachelor’s Associate Degree in Studio Art. She does not focus on one medium, but hopes to merge different mediums in her works in the future. She studied at Howard W. Blake High School as a visual art major where she experimented with drawing, painting, printmaking, stain glass, and ceramics. After graduating from Howard W. Blake in June 2009, she took a year off from the arts and studied Mass Communications at Hillsborough Community College for a semester before switching to the arts again realizing her passion.
After returning to the arts, she dedicated the remaining years at the Community College refreshing her drawing skills and earning her place in the College of the Arts at University of South Florida studying Art History, transferring from HCC. She was unsure about starting at USF as a visual art studio major and decided this was the best place for her to begin before transferring into the Studio Art program.
While she was in HCC, she exhibited in two separate student shows with a photograph and a drawing. She felt accomplished having some recognition for her artwork and tried to carry out this recognition at USF. During her time at USF, she developed conceptual ideas from her professors and that pushed her further to her current work. Although she is indecisive of which medium she wants to primarily focus on, she is well-rounded in drawing, painting, intaglio, ceramics, and art history.
During the Summer of 2014, she had an internship with the Contemporary Art Museum at USF. She incorporated some investigative skills required from Mass Communications into “A Different Frame of Mind,” an exhibition held from June 16, 2014 to September 5, 2014. She photographed and documented her experience working with the artists within the given space and published three blogs specifically for USFCAM. Her experience there inspired her to go beyond the frame and be open to multidisciplinary mediums.
In February 2015, she exhibited in Florida’s Strawberry Festival with “Strawberry Shortcake” and “Child’s Play” amongst many artists in Florida.
In March of 2014, she exhibited with Coalition of Hispanic Artists (in which she was a member of since June 2014) at Towers with “Spring’s Dream, ” where she began to expose her work with other artists outside of a school setting. She is exhibting again at Towers in Westshore with the Coalition of Hispanic Artists in March 20, 2015 to March 31, 2015.
Throughout 2015, she exhibited with the Coalition of Hispanic Artists and plans to continue her experimentation with artwork in 2016. She plans to exhibit with the Strawberry Festival in February again and bring more artwork forward in sculpture and painting. Sculpture has a three dimensional quality that she wants to pursue that she cannot get in painting thus far.
Today, you are witnessing the beginning of a strong future for kLoraine. Be part of it.
My artwork is constantly changing. I do not focus on one medium because I am evolving and experimenting with different materials with traditional tools. After my internship with University of South Florida’s Contemporary Art Museum, I was inspired with the artists I worked with. During “A Different Frame of Mind,” I was challenged to see contemporary art in a new way. I am well-rounded with drawing, painting, and other various techniques that my artwork conveys the blending of these mediums. My artwork has a tendancy to help me release emotions that I have bottled up and become dark themes. However, they have a sense of beauty and treated delicately. Overall, viewers can portray the artwork in their interpretation based on their emotional and mental state.
