Raquel Aurini was born in Hamilton, Ontario. She completed her BA in Studio Art at the University of Guelph in 2001 and a Digital Media Arts diploma from Seneca College in 2004. Since then, Raquel has balanced her career as a graphic designer in advertising with her artistic practice. Raquel currently resides in Toronto and paints landscapes of her world travels. She has shown her work at various venues in Toronto and Montreal. "Connection is at the core of my art practice. Travel is incredibly meaningful to me, and I create landscape portraits of moments that have filled me with awe and inspiration. I use bright, vivid colours and flowing lines to recreate the unique combination of real and surreal beauty we find in nature. I believe that art has the power to bring people together; I want viewers to feel a sense of calm when looking at the landscapes, but above all I just want them to feel."