CHATTING WITH LUCIANA ROSSIO
Luciana Rossio is the romantic moniker of Californian native Jennifer, whose paintings play with inviting colours and intriguing texture to create imaginative pieces that capture attention instantaneously.
Certainly a hidden gem of Instagram’s art community, Luciana’s feed is like diving head first into melting ice cream and never wanting to resurface.
Tell us a bit about who you are, where you're from, and how you first started becoming interested in creating art;
My name is Jennifer Roos & I create art under the name Luciana Rossio. I am originally from the desert in southern California, but have lived many different places as an adult including Southeast Asia. I'm currently living right outside of Washington, DC. I have created art & have been designing things since I was a child. As an adult I spent a lot of my time designing & working creatively in the fashion industry. When I moved to Southeast Asia I became quite bored creatively, So I decided it was time to paint again. And that was when Luciana Rossio was born.
What do you like to think about when creating your paintings? Describe your creative process;
My creative process is different every time. Travel is a huge inspiration for me & a great way to clear my mind. Color is also a huge inspiration for me. I often have more of an idea of the colors I want to use & just let the painting take shape as I start to paint the canvas. I also am very inspired by music & poetry, sometimes a painting is born just by a few lines in a song.
What are some of the main themes and ideas you try to convey with your work?
I think that art should be translated by the person enjoying it. I often hesitate to title work because I feel sometimes it takes away from the experience. For the most part I hope people feel something when looking at my art that in some way helps them or inspires them.
Who are some of the artists you look up to and are most inspired by?
Joan Mitchell, Vanessa Prager, Xu Zhen, Vincencia Blount
What are your hopes for the future with your artwork?
I hope to continue to make art that people enjoy, to spread love & inspire others.
DŽO
Photographer: Kalindy Williams
Designer: DŽO
Makeup: Michaela Todorovski
PENNY DROP x EFP
If Barbie took a bunch of LSD and rode her unicorn to the strip club, you’d probably find her adorned in Penny Drop. Enjoy these wonderfully whimsical images, created by a team of super talented and passionate creatives.
Photographer: Evan Fowler Photography
Designer: Penny Drop
Makeup: Lauren Dell'Arciprete
GIRLHOOD
This shoot was definitely one of the more fun creative projects I’ve had the pleasure to be a part of. A true girl gang of six talented women came together for this day in the sun, and Ellen, the creative director behind the shoot, actually made and brought pink lemonade vodka - I'm pretty sure that's all I need to say to indicate how high the vibes were on this one.
I loved the way the idea behind this shoot seemed to marry a youthful innocence along with the tenacity of rebellion in the feminine adolescence. Pastel-ized babes smoking in the school bleachers, with peeks and pops of late 90s/early 2000s influence in the styling gave this shoot a definite charm and nostalgic feel. The second look ramped up the maturity and edge of the project, with black outfits and angular city building backdrops. I loved this look because of the capacity it granted to embrace a stronger presence in front of the camera, extending upon the idea of teenage girls on the brink of womanhood.
It was fabulous to work with the extremely talented and fun Missa and Chloe again, both of whom I was lucky enough to work with for the launch of Illicit Empress (check it out here).
Photographer: Melissa Cowan
Models: Myself, Ellen and Caitlyn
HMUA: Chloe Rose, Claudia Leahy
REALITY
The team behind Reality is one to keep an eye on. These relaxed fits, comfortable fabrics and clean-cut aesthetics combine to create garments that can’t go wrong - and create the kind of t-shirts, caps and totes that are versatile enough to suit most any situation.
A huge thanks to the Reality crew for having me come hang out, punch darts and get comfy on a shaggy pink rug - is there really a better way to spend your Friday arvo?
Photographer: Jason Chan
Models: Charlie and Eitan