We had the good fortune of connecting with Serena Rios McRae and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Serena, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
Being an artist is grueling and hard. Visual artists, whether they be fine artists, digital artists, photographers, etc, are often taken advantage of and even more often have their worth highly underestimated. Today we live in a world where with a tap of a couple of buttons on a phone artwork can be stolen, and used, edited, reclaimed, however someone wants to. Artists are often given the words, “I’ll give you exposure” as if a handful of views is equal to a bill that artist has to pay, or a child that artist has to feed. It is a part of our culture to believe that being an artist is only a fun side-gig, not an actual career deserving of respect. Viewers often don’t recognize the hours an artist puts in to perfect their skill, or the money an artist invests into their tools of the trade. Our culture, I think, also doesn’t recognize what the world would look like without the efforts of those dedicated to art and design. Art is a part of everything, including the cars we drive, the logos on our phone apps, backdrops we take selfies with, and advertisements that influence us. I heard someone say recently, “Nothing is original anymore, everything is a copy of something,” but the truth is that the art that truly inspires and touches us is from the heart of an artist. Without the courage to follow art as a career, the courage to share from within our souls, and the grit it takes to move forward selling bits of your soul to the world, while being constantly told that corporations are cheaper and “That looks so simple, I’ll make one myself”, the world would be a very dark place.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a modern watercolor artist, who also creates digital art, often melding the two mediums together. My artwork is bright and loud, and very much lacking in straight lines. I think what sets my art apart is that it is very intuitive. I do not spend a lot of time with architectural studies, or accurate representations, but instead paint very emotive pieces, with lots of motion, drips, splatters, blending colors, etc. A huge part of my mission as an artist is to normalize the conversation around mental illness. As I have built my business as an artist, I have been working on one main product, a deck of 52 affirmation cards called Affirmations Moms Actually Need. This project is older than my business itself. It has been in the works for two years, and I launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to bring it to life in April 2020, and it was fully funded in one weekend. You can learn more about the project or order your own deck at www.AffirmationsMomsActuallyNeed.com I have spent every day working to build my business, and am continuing to work to grow my following, and widen the reach of my message: I can be a mother and still accomplish my dreams. Being a mother is only one part of who I am, and I can still tap into who I am and create, inspire, and uplift humans. This message is so important for mothers to hear, and it is so important for mothers to see other mothers building businesses, doing what they are passionate about, while still raising their children. I am a mother who suffered from severe Postpartum Depression, and who still has Depression as a regular companion, and I have built my business around the principal of breaking stigmas around mental illness, opening the conversation for those hiding in societal shame, and bringing joy to humans.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Tucson is fantastic. I would take my visitors hiking in Sabino Canyon, and Jeeping to Chivo Falls, if the water is running. We would visit Mesquite Valley Nursery, so I could show off the most magnificent mesquite tree in town, and buy some stellar tropicals or cacti, after which we would stop at the 520 Taco Stop truck on Speedway and Houghton for a vegan birria taco. We’d spend a day and head up Mt Lemmon, and hike the Marshall’s Gulch to Aspen trail, and stop at the Cookie Cabin for a massive cookie, and visit the Sky Island Trading Company for some local shopping. We’d hit downtown and support Antigone Books and PopCycle shop on 4th Avenue, and buy some tees at Tiny Town. Then we’d go further west and get lunch at the Mercado San Augustine, probably at Seis, and purchase some fresh flowers from Bloom Maven. A stroll down the street would take us to the MSA Annex, a complex of shipping containers turned shops, and we’d visit the newly designed Why I Love Where I Live shop. Of course one day we would go to Bookman’s, but we would get a matcha latte, and vegan chocolates at Suncraft first! Carnitas Los Gordos on 22nd and Swan would be an absolutely necessary lunch stop, because my visitor would love having lunch in the bright pink diner-school bus! We’d spend Friday night at Hotel McCoy for one of my watercolor workshops. And we’d hit up Sonoran Brunch Company for a chorizo corn pancake or cauliflower tacos before my guest left town, potentially a few pounds heavier. What can I say? Living in this City of Gastronomy has its perks. Bring stretchy pants.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Nicole Dahl of Hotel McCoy has built a business in hospitality that not only gives Tucson’s visitors a perfect hotel experience and Tucson backdrop, but also bolsters the artistic community that is so prevalent in Tucson. She has curated a hotel experience which is full to the brim of beautiful murals from local artists, perfect for meditating on words of poetry, or taking selfies for the Gram. Not only is every wall dedicated to incredible artwork on the outside, but guests can have breakfast, drink wine, or play games within an art gallery bursting at the seams. There are rooms in the hotel dedicated to local artists, and guests get to sleep below original locally created pieces that adorn the walls (I am room 305). Not only has Nicole created a space to celebrate local art, she also sells the work commission-free. 100% of the sales of an art piece go to the artist who created it. Each fall Hotel McCoy hosts the Annual Arizona Art Fest, turning every hotel room into a tiny venue. Fall 2019 saw the rooms of Hotel McCoy filled with humans excited to view live fashion shows and photoshoots, listen to local musicians, listen to lectures from local creators, and shop local artisans, while viewing live demos of their skills, all on the teeny tiny scale of a hotel room. It was absolutely incredible. Hotel McCoy is the perfect example of how to support artists, and Tucson is lucky to have them, with Nicole Dahl at the helm.

Website: https://linktr.ee/CactusCloudsArt
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cactuscloudsart
Facebook: www.fb.com/cactuscloudsart
Youtube: https://youtu.be/Gs3w5m8ccw0
Other: www.affirmationsmomsactuallyneed.com https://cactus-clouds-art-by-serena-mcrae.square.site

Image Credits
All photos by Serena McRae of Cactus Clouds Art