A photo by Denise-Marie Luko Inside the wonderous Vatican Museum

Born in the Republic of Panama' but raised in the United States. I had the military family upbringing that either fosters a love of travel or cures you of it. I studied art in Southern California, chief amongst my teachers at that time was Prof. Manuel DeLeon who took me under his wing and introduced me to anatomy and the wonder of life drawing. Decades later I moved to O'ahu, Hawaii where I met and studied with Roy Tabora whom I believe is a true master. (I use this term despite the fact that it gets tossed around too freely for my taste.) He shared his studio, his work ethic and his techniques. I will forever be grateful to him for that. The following years were spent as a full time artist painting seascapes and raising my three children. Surrounded by wonderful business friends (I can never thank Mahmoud enough) those days were gloriously hectic. During that time dancing entered my life with a vengeance. The first was hula. Then swing, salsa and Argentine Tango. Now my life is on the eastern seaboard. In New England my paintings seem to be going back to my "life drawing" origins while encompassing dance. Although I'll never stray completely away from the sea, I'm excited about this new direction and all the possibilities that lay before me. I look forward to sharing my new pieces with you. You can also visit me at: - myspace.com/thenisla or at - nisla.gaia.com and thanks for checking in!