Mariela de la Paz
Visionary Oil Painter
Lake County, California, USA
Artist Profile
Mariela de la Paz is a Chilean-born, California-based visionary oil painter whose career spans nearly four decades. Working exclusively in oils, she has developed a distinctive visual language that bridges classical painting techniques with sacred symbolism, Indigenous American cosmologies, ecological consciousness, and Tibetan Buddhist contemplative practice.
Her paintings explore the relationship between nature, consciousness, healing, mythology, and the sacred feminine, creating contemplative spaces that invite reflection, wonder, and a renewed relationship with the living world.
Her work has been exhibited throughout California and internationally and has been featured in DoubleBlind Magazine. Three of her original oil paintings were selected by Taschen to illustrate chapters in The Library of Esoterica: Plant Magick.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
Medicine Buddha: Visions Through Illness and Awakening
Abrams Claghorn Gallery
Albany, California
September 1–30, 2026
Retrospective
Soft Medicine Sanctuary
Sebastopol, California
June 2022 – January 2023
Under the Coralline Sea
Bay Club
Oakland, California
July – September 1998
The World of a Water Nymph
La Peña Cultural Center
Berkeley, California
March 1991
Mariela's Solo Exhibition
Escuela Moderna de Música
Santiago, Chile
April – May 1988
Selected Group Exhibitions
INQUIRY
Middletown Arts Center
Middletown, California
June 13 – August 3, 2026
WATER
Middletown Arts Center
Middletown, California
March 15 – June 8, 2026
Configurations
Middletown Arts Center
December 2025 – March 2026
A Celebration of Our Resilience
Middletown Arts Center
September – December 2025
INTIMATE
Middletown Arts Center
June – September 2025
Hands Meet Earth
Middletown Arts Center
March – June 2025
Entanglement
Middletown Arts Center
December 2024 – March 2025
The Space Between
Middletown Arts Center
April – July 2024
Raíces Hermosas – Gorgeous Roots
Middletown Arts Center
January – April 2024
In Reverence of the Feminine
Abrams Claghorn Gallery
Albany, California
March – April 2024
Hallway of Impressions
Soft Medicine Sanctuary
Sebastopol, California
2023–2025
Mind, Body, Spirit Village
Visionary Arts Collective
New Living Expo
San Rafael, California
2023
Open Secret Bookstore / Rainbow Body Art Gallery
San Rafael, California
2001–2020
Transformational Art Village
Harmony Festival
Santa Rosa, California
Annual Exhibitor, 1999–2008
Flesh of the Gods
San Anselmo Memorial Park
San Anselmo, California
2003
Latin American Artists in the 90s
Saint John's University
Queens, New York
1996
Publications
The Library of Esoterica: Plant Magick
Taschen
Three original oil paintings selected to illustrate three chapters of this internationally acclaimed publication.
DoubleBlind Magazine
Featured Artist
Issue #8
December 2022
Cover artwork and six-page feature.
Mujeres de Maíz
The Wall of Water
Plate #10
2024
Lectures • Artist Talks • Public Programs
Medicine Buddha: Visions Through Illness and Awakening
Abrams Claghorn Gallery
Albany, California
September 25, 2026
Artist lecture and multimedia presentation exploring healing through visionary painting, Tibetan Buddhism, sacred plant traditions, and the creative process.
A Woman's Journey Through Visionary Art and Plant Medicine
Adventure Vinyasa
Middletown, California
February 2026
Visionary Art and Psychedelics
Soft Medicine Sanctuary
Sebastopol, California
December 2022
Teaching • Community Engagement
Private Oil Painting Instruction
Adults with Disabilities
2012
Art Therapy Instructor
Walden House
San Francisco, California
1995
Community Murals & Sculpture Projects
Project YES / East Bay Conservation Corps
Oakland, California
1995
Private Oil Painting Instructor
Oakland, California
1990–1993
Crafts Instructor
Los Zenzlotes Music & Art Center
Richmond, California
1996
Professional Training
Mission Cultural Center
Graphics Department
San Francisco, California
1992–1995
Creative Computers
Advanced Digital Painting
Palo Alto, California
1995
Escuela Moderna de Música
Classical Fine Arts
Santiago, Chile
1986–1989
Private Mentorship with Ida González de Carreño
1986–1989
Additional studies with Alberto Steinberg, Eduardo Vilches, Cecilia Knerr, Kirkwood Community College, and the University of Guam.
Higher Education
University of Guam
Graduate Studies in Psychopedagogy
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Secondary Education
Minor in English as a Second Language
1978–1981
Areas of Practice
Visionary Oil Painting
Sacred Symbolism
Contemporary Mythology
Sacred Feminine
Indigenous American Cosmologies
Tibetan Buddhist-inspired Art
Healing Through Art
Community Arts Education
Botanical and Ecological Consciousness