Hi Ena, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico. I drew cartoons on the back of my school notebooks since I was in elementary school. I took after my father, who worked as a draftsman for the Puerto Rico telephone company back in the seventies before they had computer aided design. I also take after my brother, who was also drawing his own comics in middle school. You could say that art is in my family! I moved to the United States when I was eighteen years old. I studied commercial art at a college in Florida. From there, I met my husband and while he joined the Army, I traveled with him while continuing to finish college, raise a family, and work full time. I am also have a concurrent exhibition at Heritage Art Center in uptown Columbus.
In 2016, I accomplished my dream of being the first one in my family to complete an MBA. With college finished, I looked for other ways to cope with deployments. I started playing with mixed media paintings as a form of therapy. Then I started to participate in art shows in Kansas in late 2016. I love to play with different materials and experiment with techniques. Currently, I am taking several painting classes, and I feel that they have helped me evolve in my journey. I moved back to Columbus in 2018, and I have gone from starting my art journey over to doing my first solo show titled “Twenty Five” the first week of November 2020. The show is about the culmination of my journey to Columbus, in which I showed my appreciation for this beautiful city and its people. It is a permanent exhibition at Bodega1205 in uptown Columbus.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I am an introverted and shy person. Art has helped me become looser and ease my social anxieties. I find it good for the soul to meet new people because you can learn from their points of view. Another struggle for me is that English is not my first language. I struggle to understand sometimes, but I make a point of asking questions so that their message is conveyed properly. I pride myself on learning every day by having meaningful conversations with people of different backgrounds. The art scene has helped me be more free to be myself, see others in a completely different set of circumstances, and collaborate with others on different projects that aren’t necessarily art related.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I work in the financial services area, but my main focus has been my art for the last five years. I am a mixed media artist because I love the feeling of textures in a painting. I believe that a painting should have a complete sensory experience. If the painting is sitting behind glass somewhere and it is not thoroughly enjoyed, then I have not accomplished my goal. My motto is “Let’s paint the world!” by keeping things fresh. I want you to ask questions about my painting. I want you to discuss my thought process. I want you to wonder how I did it. My paintings do not fit in a box purposely because they are many things. I want you to wonder what they are and talk to me about them. I pride myself in a combination of techniques that no other local artist is currently doing. I am proud to be doing things differently. And I believe that is what sets me apart from others.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up in Puerto Rico had its set of challenges. My father was ill for a long time and my family struggled. I was the younger of four children and the only girl. Growing up with boys made me a tomboy. I was super shy, and that made it hard to make friends. I was immersed in my drawings and My Little Pony. I always had a fascination with unicorns way before they were trendy a few years ago. My drawings allowed me to come up with adventures and themes. My short stories would peek the interests of my school teachers, and some suggested that I pursue art full time then. I remember that one summer a family friend brought a small motorcycle home. I rode it all summer and it was the best thing that I ever did! I never felt so free. I became a motorcyclist in 2006 and I still ride my motorcycle nowadays.
Contact Info:
- Email: artbyenaramille@gmail.com
- Website: www.artbyenaramille.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbyenaramille
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtByEna
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