Art has been a huge part of Claudia’s life for as long as she can remember. Growing up in culturally rich Mexico City, with the opportunity to use her artistic parents’ home art space (complete with sound studio and a photo lab) helped to develop her creativity. Recognizing their daughter’s talent very early on, Claudia’s parents enrolled her in art lessons and by the age of nine she was already drawing still life adult portraits.
When Claudia was a teenager, her family relocated to Vancouver where she immediately noticed a comparative lack of art culture for teens and young people. Eventually graduating from the Graphic Design and Illustration program at Capilano University, Claudia extended her art studies at the Emily Carr Institute and Vancouver Film School.
Opening an art school for kids had been a dream of Claudia’s since she graduated Capilano, but it wasn’t until nearly 15 years later when she had her own kids that this dream became a reality. In 2010, she established Kidoodles Art Studio to encourage children to develop their full creative potential through arts and crafts in a fun learning environment.
“It’s been amazing to work with art and children. I do really immerse myself, so I become one of them. I’m also like a child, especially when we are doing splatter painting,” says Claudia.