On the coast, light changes everything — the water, the land, even the air itself takes on a kind of glow.
I’m drawn to those threshold moments when the landscape quietly shifts — when atmosphere, distance, and light begin to shape not just the coast, but the feeling of being within it. It's that fleeting sense of suspension that continues to draw me back to paint.
I’m Aruna Rao, an impressionist painter based in Florida, creating coastal oil paintings that capture the shifting moods of light along the shore.
I grew up in a literary family in India, surrounded by stories and art from around the world. The works of French Impressionists like Degas, Monet, and Van Gogh first ignited my love for painting.
After moving to the United States, I spent several years in the IT industry before returning to painting. I later earned an MFA in Painting from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and have since devoted myself full-time to painting and the pursuit of growth as an artist.
Having lived and painted in Michigan and Colorado before settling in Florida, I have drawn inspiration from diverse landscapes and the changing qualities of light. Today, the coast has become my primary source of inspiration.
A R T I S T R E S U M E
Education
2018 MFA Painting, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA
Gallery Representation
Sheldon Fine Art, Naples, FL | Newport, RI
Modern Masters Fine Art, Charleston, SC
Thornwood Art, San Antonio, TX
Exhibitions
2024 - American Impressionist Society 4th Annual Associate Member Online Exhibition
2020 - Oil Painters of America Virtual Western Regional Juried Exhibition, Illume G, UT
2020 – WAOW 50th National Jubilee Exhibition, Settlers Gallery, Tuscon, AZ
2019 - Oil Painters of America (OPA) Western Regional Juried Exhibition, Santa Fe, NM
2019 - Arts at Denver Gallery Holiday Show, Denver, CO
2019 - PAAC's 23rd Annual National Juried Show, Studio 8639, Grand Lake, Colorado
2019 – Solo Show, Laurel Justice Gallery, Colorado Springs, CO
Awards & Honors
2019 - Oil Painters of America Summer Online Showcase Winner, Honorable Mention
2019 - Finalist, 14th International ARC Salon Competition
2017 - Artist's Magazine Student Competition Winner, 2nd Place
Publications
Artsy Shark Featured Artist, Apr 2024 — https://www.artsyshark.com/2024/04/11/featured-artist-aruna-rao/
Featured in Southwest Art "Artists to Watch" editorial June 2020 —
https://www.southwestart.com/articles-interviews/emerging-artists/emerging-artists-aruna-rao
Featured in the Western Art Collector OPA editorial - Dec 2019
Featured in the ARC special section of Fine Art Connoisseur - Set/Oct 2019