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Tania Barrios

"I had a beautiful and happy childhood growing up with my brother and parents. Dad had a wood workshop and I'd spend hours with him. He taught me wood carving and carpentry – he was very good at his job and I learned a lot from him. Mom used to work in a supermarket but her passion was always sewing and knitting. With time and thanks to dad'’s hard work, the workshop began to grow and soon mom started working alongside him.

"Dad was in charge of administrating and managing the workshop, and he did a really good job. But in 2000 he passed away and my brother and I had to take his place. The workshop remained open for seven years, with many problems and hardships, but also with joyful moments and achievements.

"Unfortunately, with the rise of the price of wood and with delinquency in my country getting worse, we decided to close the workshop and sell all the equipment. It wasn't easy, the workshop meant a lot to our dad, but we understood it was something we had to do.

"About how I got started in art, mom likes to say it all started when I was a mischievous little girl. We had some chairs with textile seats and grandma used to help me turn them upside down, and I would paint on them with my crayons!

"I decided to study Interior Design, and one of the requirements was drawing, which I didn't know anything about. I took classes with Walter Peter Koller, a renowned artist from Guatemala. I started with carbon and ink drawings and my technique improved so much that when I handed in a project, my teacher at university was surprised! In fact, she never believed I had made it, and she never gave me a grade for it.

"Then I worked with Mario Godoy Ortiz, who I met by chance. I saw some of his paintings, which seemed like antiques, at Walter's house and he told me they were by a friend of his, so I decided to commission one for my mother. I asked Walter to introduce us and when I met Mario, my style and approach to painting changed.

"I remember the first time I met him I asked him to look at a painting I had done some time ago. It took me a long time to finally get Mario to see it, and when he did I was surprised by his words. He said, 'Use better quality paper, you can find it at a specialized arts supply store. You should also use professional watercolors – the ones you're using are of poor quality and they are for children.'

"Professional watercolors? Quality paper for watercolor paintings? They exist?! I never knew!

"This was a turning point in my career, because by using better quality materials my paintings improved tremendously. I owe a lot to Walter and Mario – I would never have been able to enjoy this art if it hadn't been for them. Some years later I invited Mario again to see my work and offer some pointers. As before, his reply surprised me, 'You don't need a teacher anymore to come and see your paintings before finishing them.' I was so happy! It meant that I had finally achieved a greater artistic level.

"My favorite theme is the architecture of Antigua and Guatemala's historical center, especially when there is a lot of texture and color.

"My dream is always the same: live my life, make the most of it, and enjoy life as much as possible. Leave behind beautiful things, and share my art with other people."