Artist Statement

I am an artist, energy healer, educator, and mother whose work in each of those realms blends together with the others.

The name of my studio, Bosque Oscuro, means “dark forest” in Spanish. This is a reference to anthropologist Joseph Campbell’s concept of venturing off the beaten path, into the dark forest, to discover what is truly destined. It is my belief that developing a relationship with creativity requires a similar level of cultural abandon, and so gives us access to a wellspring of internal wisdom that is uniquely ours.

My process responds to the 2-dimensional surface of a painting as a mirror-portal, reflecting and projecting multiple layers of the self into the visual field.

I begin each painting by clearing the studio physically and energetically. Next, I unroll raw canvas on the floor, prostrate to the field of possibility. This is the soul-level of the work, with the blank canvas vital and powerful like a demiurge. From this space of clarity and silence, I wait for an impulse–a color or compositional element–to emerge.

The next stage involves responding to impulse by pouring and spreading acrylic washes across the surface, moving dynamically to remain instinctive. This is the heart of the process and determines the compositional thrust of each piece. The acrylic washes stabilize the raw canvas and reflect the impulsive, emotional aspects of the self.

Once this layer dries, I solidify the forms in oils, using grisaille as a way to build depth, harmonize the visual elements, and establish detail. This requires a very different quality of consciousness; I work slowly and meditatively at this stage, sometimes painting only one or two brushstrokes in a day. As such, this final layer reflects the mental aspect of the self. I sometimes add figurative elements at this final stage, crystallizing the energy of the underlayers into distinguishable form.

By descending from subtle to dense in both approach, material, and subject, my intent is to create two-dimensional paintings as artifacts of a multi-dimensional reality, and that serve as roadmaps to subtler layers of self.

As an educator, I use my experience and training as a professional artist, Reiki Master, and Montessori guide to create a learning environment that allows each artist to connect with their innate artistic genius. I value working within the confluence of creativity, energy medicine, and intuition as pathways to inspiration.

Biography

Jasmin Iskandar de Caro was born outside of Los Angeles, California to immigrant parents from Mexico, Italy, and China by way of Indonesia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history from Vassar College, an Associate of Arts degree in graphic design from The Art Institutes of North Hollywood, and has received continued education in the field of studio art from Art Center, the University of Southern California, and the University of California, Los Angeles. Iskandar de Caro received her Montessori teaching certificate from the Montesori Training Centre of British Columbia and was initiated to the Master level of Usui Reiki in 2019. Her work has been exhibited in Tubac Center for the Arts, Las Lagunas Art Gallery, RAW Artists: Orange County, El Velorio, and the Ann Arbor Art Fair among others.