I remember exactly when I decided I wanted to be an artist. It was sixth grade. A local artist came to my class as a guest speaker. She told us a story about leaving her painting in the oven for too long while trying to get it to dry quicker, which in the end became a fortunate accident because it gave her painting an interesting effect. I never saw her artwork, but I had imagined it was beautiful because of the way she described her love for art and passion for her work. We were given an assignment that day. We were to try to replicate a famous piece of art. I chose Henri Rousseau’s “Woman Walking in an Exotic Forest”. The colors of his paintings were captivating to me. It was by no means my favorite style of painting but it helped me understand the depth he created in his paintings using tones and texture. Considered a naïve primitive painter, Rousseau was self-taught. During my very first art research I learned a quote by the great artist “no teacher other than nature.” His life was like every other: unpredictable, ordinary and fascinating.  Living was his inspiration, and life was his school. My art journey began then.