A Look Through My Earliest Art

I started drawing when I entered Kindergarten. I had just immigrated to the US and I didn't speak any English. Luckily I did have two classmates that spoke Portuguese that would help me when I was in class; they are still my friends to this day. During this time, I had a very hard time expressing myself with words and writing, so I often found myself trying to get across what I was trying to write with detailed drawings.

My mother saved all my work, so I was able to go through them. It felt like rediscovering myself. Here I'll share some of my favorite discoveries. These drawings were made from the time when I was in Kindergarten to the 2nd grades.

The only pets I had growing up was fish, but I always loved cats. I love the design of these cats.

This is a drawing of my cousin and I at the beach. I can tell exactly which beach I was drawing because there was a particular beach we would go to where we set up by a wall. I love the perspective in this drawing.

I loved splashing in the rain with my mom. I still love the rain but more so because it feels cozy to be inside and watch the rain fall.

I love this family portrait with my parents, and little sister. Some interesting details: My Dad always wore a hat to work and my mom would dress my sister and I the same.

It was interesting to discover how early my love for Halloween started. I learned about Halloween when I started school, so I must have loved it right away.

Here is an example of how I would try to explain myself through drawings. I wrote "It is not easy to play pueen". In the drawing I show all the items you would need to effectively play a queen and it's not easy as a child to get all those items.

This one was folded so it got a little damaged by the light but it shows how I loved drawing flowers and fairies.

I loved watching cartoons. Here is Ariel and Ursula from "The Little Mermaid" on top and the Powerpuff Girls on the bottom.

I became obsessed with mermaids after watching "The Little Mermaid". It's an obsession that endures. Mermaids are still one of my favorite things to draw.

They asked me to draw a picture and I did not hold back on the details. FYI "Dachy" means Duckie. I was a terrible speller.

Math was one of my best subjects. Whenever the instructions said to draw a picture to show my work, I took the opportunity to be as detailed as possible.

I'm not really sure what my solution was here. I think it was to have them on leashes outside the boat but I can't be sure. I love that I added a mermaid for no reason other than wanting to draw a mermaid..

These are just a few of them, but I loved going through all of them. It shows how much I loved to draw and how much I've grown as an artist since then.