I’ve never felt fully rooted in the world—not a trespasser, not exactly an outsider, just a little out of place among humans. A little misunderstood. A little alien. I drift from the “traditional” and the “normal”—still lifes, predictable landscapes—not out of rebellion, but because blending in has never come naturally. I’m not built for it. Im not good at it. What I try to paint is that strange, magnetic feeling you get when you can’t quite look away—the kind that provokes questions but refuses explanation. Chaos, mystery, strangeness. That’s the space where I feel most at home.
Art Pieces Created
Happy Collectors
Prints Sold Worldwide
Years of Artistic Evolution
“Classification pending”
I moved often growing up—more than forty times across California and parts of Mexico—which shaped how I experience place as something temporary and observed rather than claimed. Because of that, my roots aren’t tied to a single location; they exist where I’m standing. The Inland Empire has been part of that larger geography since childhood, often encountered rather than established as a home base. That pattern of movement and observation continues to inform my life and work today.
I’ve never quite felt rooted in the world—not a trespasser, not an outsider, just slightly out of place. A little misunderstood. A little alien. I tend to drift away from what’s considered traditional or normal, not out of rebellion, but because blending in has never felt natural to me. That quiet sense of otherness is the space I understand best, and it’s where my paintings begin.
My work places figures inside ordinary domestic and neighborhood settings—homes, sidewalks, yards. They stand where they’re supposed to stand. They’re dressed appropriately. They behave normally. Nothing dramatic is happening. Nothing is explained. And yet, the figures remain difficult to classify. They don’t announce themselves or ask for interpretation; they simply exist—observed, but unresolved.
I’m interested in the moment just before a conclusion is drawn—the brief pause between seeing someone and assigning meaning. That hesitation often reveals more about the viewer than the figure being observed. When someone points out a “difference” in my work, my response is often, “What’s different to you?” That question redirects attention to the instant judgment formed, exposing how quickly assumptions take hold and how easily perception hardens into classification around identity.
As children, we don’t operate this way. We see people before categories. We accept presence before labels. Somewhere along the way, that openness is replaced by systems of sorting—classified or unclassified, familiar or unfamiliar, acceptable or questionable. Difference becomes something to justify, document, or fear, even when the person in front of us is simply existing and causing no disruption at all.
Although the work touches on unfamiliarity, it remains calm and grounded. There is no malice, fear, or spectacle. The figures are not threats or anomalies. They are neighbors. The unfamiliar is treated not as a problem to solve, but as a condition to observe—recorded without verdict, like an unresolved case study.
This perspective guides the work I would develop at Riverside Art Museum, inviting viewers to pause before classifying and to sit in the space between observation and conclusion. During my time at the museum, this project would be my primary focus. I would work openly in the space, engage with visitors of all ages, and participate in programs the museum chooses to schedule. I would also invite visitors, including kids and families, to contribute simple drawings or short phrases over time, creating a shared record of perception and a welcoming, low-pressure environment for engagement.
I was born in Sonoma County, California, and began drawing at an early age, transitioning to oil painting as a teenager. Years of frequent relocation throughout California and extended time living and volunteering in Mexico shaped an attentiveness to people as they are, encountered across different places and communities. I am currently based in Orange, California, and have spent significant time in the Inland Empire and its arts institutions, including the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture and the Riverside Art Museum. 5 years ago, I began dedicating myself to painting full time and work primarily in oil.
Nicole Valadez “Rook”
Orange County, California
Work primarily in oil painting
College-level coursework completed during high school, including Beginning Art & Composition, Graphic Design, Art History, and Color Theory
Solo Exhibitions
2006 — Solo Exhibition, Downtown Napa, CA
2008 — Group Exhibition, Petaluma, CA
2009 — Group Exhibition, Santa Rosa, CA
2024 — Group Exhibition, Avant Garden Art Gallery, Santa Ana Art Walk, Santa Ana, CA
2024 — Group Exhibition, Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
2025–Present — Group Exhibition and ongoing sales, The Alien Museum, Joshua Tree, CA
2025— Selected, Common Corners Brewery, Walnut, Ca
2025 — Selected Exhibition, Brea Art Gallery, Brea, CA
2025 — Selected Exhibition, Coronado Public Library, Coronado, CA
2025 — Selected Exhibition, Yorba Linda Cultural Arts Center, Yorba Linda, CA
Third Grade — First Place, Humane Society of Sonoma County Art Contest 1994 — First Place, Local Fair Art Competition (Oil Painting)
2000 — Winner, Countywide Wine Label Design Competition, Sonoma County Colleges
2025 — Featured Artist, Cover of Brea Art Gallery Program
Early 2000s — Instructor, Beginner Art Classes, Mexico
Ongoing — Commissioned over 30 portrait and fine art works
2017 — Logo Design, LDC Southern California Regional Branch
2025 — Logo Design, LDC Northern California Regional Branch
“Archived Case 00: Classification Pending”
Oil on canvas, 60 × 30 in., 2024
Exhibited at Brea Art Gallery (2025) and Yorba Linda Cultural Arts Center (2025)
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Satisfied Clients
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Satisfied Clients
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Satisfied Clients
I find inspiration in memory, movement, ordinary life, and the quiet tension between familiarity and strangeness. An early awareness of what it means to not quite belong can shape the way a person sees the world, and art helps me transform that feeling into something visible while offering another perspective. Homes, neighborhoods, family scenes, alien imagery, and the feeling of being both connected to and outside of a place all shape my work.
