Who is JunaVee

In June 2016, Janae Velasco founded JunaVee Studio. Her dream was to be a painter in a studio with huge windows and lots of plants, and because she couldn’t afford to rent a space like this, she couldn’t be a painter. Although she had been artistic all her life, she still believed that to be a “real” artist, she needed a fancy studio.
But in the summer of 2016, everything changed when she discovered The Darling Tree’s “Unicorn Project.” This project gave her the courage to follow this burning passion and bring it into reality. She proceeded to create a sacred studio space within her bedroom. She had no idea how much this would change her life.
Since then, Janae has blossomed into a new-impressionist painter, developing her unique style with light, color, and expressive mark-making. Working mainly in acrylics but dabbling in other media, including watercolor, digital painting, gouache, animation, polymer clay, and resin, Janae explores themes of nature, emotion, consciousness, and the cosmic unknown.
Her work speaks to the possibility of a world where all beings live within a symbiotic, harmonious, and compassionate relationship. Where love trumps all, and we are all aware of our incredible creative power. Her work reminds us daily that we are the creators of our reality, and the answers we seek are inside us, waiting to be remembered. Step into the cosmic dreamscape that Janae has created and open your mind to the potential that you are capable of so much more than you’ve ever thought possible.

Janae was born and raised in southern California and attended CSULB, where she learned the fundamentals of art, design, drawing, and painting. After leaving college, she continued her artistry in the form of art, journaling, sketch booking, and doodling. When she started her painting practice, Janae quickly realized her love of trees, flowers, nature, and the forest.
In 2019, Janae and her fiancé, Chris, moved to Tacoma, Washington, where she has become enamored with painting the forest and beyond. She has gone back to school to earn a degree in art and music therapy. Janae also participates in group exhibitions, artist showcases, art fairs and has won a handful of Art Battles. She will compete in the Art Battle Regional finals in Seattle on March _ ____. She also completed her first mural this year and is looking forward to more mural work in the future.