We had the good fortune of connecting with Maria Balderas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maria, what inspires you?
The beauty and harsh reality of the world inspire me. It inspires me to create how I feel about it, whether it’s a personal experience or what I see around me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What keeps me busy with my work is exploring the mediums of art. I like to learn new techniques and be flexible with my skills and creativity while portraying a message in my work. The activism behind my art also keeps me occupied professionally because of events or organizations I may attend or present my work to. I use my paintings as a way to give a platform to the internal and external problems that we face as humans through messages of social injustice, mental health, hope, and growth. I do commissions and paint portraits as well as personalizing shoes for individuals with my artwork. This allows me to be open to multiple painting techniques and opportunities that may come by.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Before this unfortunate situation where we must stay home for safety, a great place to go around the area would be Krog Street Tunnel. The tunnel is filled with art and seems mysterious yet beautiful and I would say it’s an interesting place to checkout.

If you like a healthy breakfast and lunch i would recommend Buenos Dias Cafe. This Latin-American Cafe is fresh and delicious and the staff couldn’t be nicer to their customers.

Lastly, if you love the outdoors and the feeling of being in the city, the best place to checkout would be Piedmont Park. This urban park has something for everyone, from biking to long trails with amazing views and beautiful murals.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Numerous creators deserve recognition, but I would like to give a special shoutout to a lovely Comic Artist I met before. Arantza Pena Popo, who creates beautiful comics and graphics depicting her personal life experiences and feelings. Lastly, another artist whose work deserves recognition is Ashi Kathuria, a mixed media artist who takes inspiration from street art as she creates portraits and even personalizes sneakers.

Website: https://mariabalderas984.wixsite.com/art_de_m
Instagram: maria7ove | Art_de_M
Facebook: maria balderas

Nominate someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.