Colorful donuts. Whimsical cupcakes. Fluffy cotton candy. Volta Voloshin-Smith brings tasty treats like these to life through watercolor, turning ordinary shapes into vibrant icons. The Dallas-based artist says she’s inspired by beautiful and delicious foods and enjoys transforming them into fun illustrations.

Her love for this bright, cheerful aesthetic started in Moldova, where she grew up watching Sailor Moon cartoons.

“I loved Sailor Moon so much that I wanted to find any way possible of recreating those characters,” she explains. “To this day, cats, wings and colorful things have a special place in my heart.”

Voloshin-Smith began drawing as a child and says Salvador Dali became her greatest influence and, ultimately, favorite artist. After graduating high school, she used photography to create surrealist worlds similar to that of Dali as she made her way through business school. Although she went the more traditional route professionally, her heart never strayed from her art. A year and a half ago, the dedicated painter says she quit her job at a marketing agency to focus on her art full time.

“I realized it is the only thing that made my soul come to life. So I quit my job to freelance and work my way up as an emerging artist in Dallas,” says Voloshin-Smith.

She’ll be showcasing her wonderful watercolors for the first time at Art Con 14. Voloshin-Smith says she learned about the event on social media and began following the organization to become more involved.

“Art Con gives emerging artists an opportunity to be part of a community, something that is vital to the growth and development of artists.”

You can check out work by Volta Voloshin-Smith on her website and at Art Con 14, this Saturday, November 10. Every piece you purchase will support our 2018 beneficiary, Cry Havoc Theater Company.

Written by: Brenna Rushing