ABOUT THE ARTIST

BIO

Ana Monsanto is an award-winning visual artist based in South Florida. Raised along Florida’s vibrant coastline, Ana has spent a lifetime immersed in the rhythms of the ocean. Her work is deeply influenced by her years of sailing and surfing—adventures that have taken her to remote islands where she collects the seashells that inspire much of her art.

Ana creates sculptural, three-dimensional paintings that blur the line between painting and relief. Using palette knives and heavy-body acrylics, she builds up each shell form directly on the canvas, layer by layer, until they rise nearly half an inch from the surface. This technique allows her to evoke the textures, movement, and raw beauty of the sea in a tactile, immersive way.

Her work captures the contrast between the ocean’s restless energy and its quiet, meditative spaces. Through texture, color, and form, Ana invites the viewer into that liminal world where land meets water—and where memory, imagination, and nature converge.

Ana’s work has been exhibited in galleries throughout Florida, and her unique coastal aesthetic continues to resonate with collectors and art lovers alike.

STATEMENT

The ocean has always been more than just a backdrop to my life—it’s my muse, my teacher, and the thread that runs through all of my work. Growing up in Florida and spending years sailing and surfing along remote coastlines, I’ve been drawn to the textures, forms, and rhythms of the sea. My art is a direct extension of those experiences.

Each piece begins with a memory: a shell found on a quiet shore, the light filtering through salt spray, the feeling of stillness after a storm. Using heavy-body acrylics and a palette knife, I sculpt directly onto the canvas—building seashells and marine forms layer by layer until they become fully dimensional, rising from the surface with a tactile presence. My goal is to make the viewer feel as if the sea has spilled out onto the canvas.

I’m fascinated by the tension between movement and stillness—the dance between waves and wind, and the quiet moments they leave behind. Through texture, color, and form, I hope to transport viewers to that edge of the world where land meets water—and invite them to pause, breathe, and connect with something timeless.