Mariana Lucas
Capturing the Essence of Emergence
I paint the space between waking and dreaming. My name is Mariana Lucas, and I work in mixed media oils - building layers of color, texture, and light until the canvas starts breathing. I paint ethereal portraits, fantasy landscapes, and the creatures that live in the half-remembered stories we carry.
Every piece begins with intuition. A color that won't leave me alone. A face that feels familiar before I know why. I don't sketch with certainty; I sketch with curiosity. The painting tells me what it wants to become, and my job is to stay with it long enough to hear.
I started this practice because I had to. Not because it was practical, but because it was the only language that made sense when words failed. Oil paint is slow, stubborn, and alive. It resists you, then rewards you. I trust that process now, but I didn't always. The learning was in the staying.
waiting for the moment a story begins to breathe."
The Spirit of the Work
My journey has taken me from the deep, shadowed forests and winding rivers of Eastern Europe to the luminous, expansive shores of New Zealand. This transition has defined my palette - blending the soulful mood of the old world with the vibrant, atmospheric light of Aotearoa.
I work from a studio filled with brushes, half-finished canvases, and the quiet chaos of making. The paintings that emerge are not planned; they are discovered. I begin with intuitive color and movement, letting the pigments lead. As the layers build, I begin to see the story within the paint - shapes and forms rendered out of color, light, and memory.
My work has found homes in private collections across New Zealand and has been exhibited in local shows and competitions. Some pieces are available now. Others have already left me. If something here speaks to you, I hope you'll listen. If you want something that doesn't exist yet, I take commissions - not because I can paint anything, but because I believe the right painting finds the right person when both are ready.
Currently shipping original works within New Zealand only. International friends: I'm working on it. For now, you're welcome here too.
