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IN BETWEEN
by Crystal Torres

This original mixed-media painting was created in Menifee between two journeys: a February day trip to Santa Barbara, which inspired my Santa Barbara collection, and a later drive along the Baja coast, which inspired my next body of work.

Created on a 16 × 20 inch canvas using collage, oil sticks, oil paint, chalk pastels, and acrylic, the piece reflects my process of gathering inspiration through travel and returning home to create.
Menifee is my creative home base—a place where experiences, memories, landscapes, and emotions come together. Wherever I travel, I return to Menifee to make art.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
My artistic practice is rooted in observation, reverence, and hope. Born in San Diego and raised in the Inland Empire since age seven, I now live and create in Menifee.

Working primarily in painting, drawing, and ceramics, I create abstract works inspired by the region’s desert rocks, cacti, trees, rolling hills, sunlight, and people.

My process is intuitive and material-driven, using watercolor, gouache, acrylic, oil pastels, oil sticks, and chalk pastels to explore color, texture, memory, and place.

As an artist and educator, I am passionate about creativity, community beautification, and creating meaningful visual experiences that invite connection and reflection.