In Rio de Janeiro, there is so much to paint!

For the last two years I have been on a mission to unite people from disparate cultures by painting the Universal Heart around the world. This symbol represents the humanity in every person, the spirit that transcends races, creeds, and boundaries. So far I have painted in China, Japan, Mexico, India, Chile, Brazil, and throughout America.

The Universal Heart

For the last few years I have been especially interested in painting on different forms of public transportation. A painting on a truck, train, boat, plane etc. has another level of life to it. It travels. It has the potential to reach wider groups of people than a painting on a wall or in a gallery. Recently in Valparaiso, Chile I had the pleasure of painting Ascensor Artilleria, an iconic railroad and UNESCO World Heritage site that transports hundreds daily to sweeping views of the Valparaiso harbor. I decided to come to Rio de Janeiro after being in Chile to see what kinds of moving canvases I can find here. I have been in Rio for about a month and have been spending my time painting on the streets with local artists, scouting interesting canvases (I have a big list) and exploring the city. In March I will continue on to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru to do more art projects before I head to NYC for the summer. Today I went to find out how I could paint one of the old, colorful fishing boats in the harbor of the historical neighborhood of Urca. With a little Portuguese, a lot of hand gestures, and some drawings I was able to convince a fisherman to let me paint the top of his beautiful boat. I am going to paint a compass with a heart in the center and a banner with the words “Your Magic is Real” written in Portuguese.

If you follow your heart, it doesn’t matter which direction you go.

Your path will be full of magic.

I start painting tomorrow!

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Special thanks to my incredible uncle Rick for his support of my work, his inspiring life, and for sharing me with his travel-loving community.