Today we’d like to introduce you to Havilah Abrego.
Hi Havilah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I’m a fine artist, scuba diver, and student of marine science. I currently live in my studio in downtown Ventura, just a few blocks away from the beach, while slowly working towards my degree at Santa Barbara City College. I decided to take my academic career very slowly, while I simultaneously focus on building my career as a fine artist. I chose to live in Ventura a few years ago, since its always been a priority of mine to be near the ocean. I grew up far from the water, in a little town called San Dimas, on the outskirts of Los Angeles. My Dad built a home for me and my four older sisters. We were all homeschooled by my Mom; I had the incredible privilege of growing up with the freedom to focus on studying the ocean and practicing painting. My Dad taught me how to paint in his backyard art studio when I was around seven years old. I still have the first piece I ever painted hanging in my studio! It’s a painting of two Humpback whales. I grew up with an intense sense of wonder for the ocean. I remember being a child and constantly fantasizing about being a scuba diver, swimming with sea animals, and studying the science of the ocean. I was pretty young when I realized that I wanted to build a life around making a living off of my art and traveling the world to explore and study the ocean. I achieved my first SCUBA certification when I was 13, and I started selling my paintings at 15. Diving and painting consumed my entire childhood, and the passion never faded. I painted through my first few years of college, and my career eventually took the biggest shift after the pandemic hit in 2020. It was the perfect opportunity to paint all day, every single day. It was a beautiful time of experimentation and growth, and it was the most influential year of my life. I’ve been selling my work full time, studying, and traveling ever since.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
My journey has been anything but easy. I’ve fought a lifelong battle with chronic illness. I grew up with a disease that made it extremely difficult to function every single day, and I did not receive a diagnosis or proper treatment until I was around 18. It brought my life to a screeching halt. After I dropped out of college to go on medical leave and stopped diving for several years, it felt like I lost everything, except one thing. I never stopped painting. Embracing my creativity pulled me through the darkest years of my life. I quickly learned that growing up with a chronic illness showed me the true meaning of perseverance and the value of carving out my own path. At my current age, I am healthier than I have ever been and I am eternally grateful for the gift of waking up every day and being able to choose the life that I have built for myself.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an artist specializing in acrylic on canvas painting, primarily focusing on capturing my experiences with the ocean. All of my work starts with experience, and my creative practice begins the moment that I drop into the water. It’s a wonderful moment of my scientific brain and my artistic brain coming together to stand in wonder of the world. While art and science are culturally separated, they have beautiful potential to cross-fertilize each other. I want to use my creative work to help bridge the gap between these two vastly different worlds. Art holds an incredible amount of power and can bring forth emotions, memories, and recollections that can be powerful forces in driving change. If I can somehow incorporate the power of art into my work as a scientist, I’m going to make that happen.
Lastly, what is your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory will always be getting certified in SCUBA with both my parents. Becoming a scuba diver at such a young age was an enormous gift; I was able to cultivate amazing skills while still having such a bright sense of childlike wonder for the ocean. I was around 12 years old when we started taking classes, and I’ll never forget the first time I was able to dip my head underwater in a pool and breathe through a regulator. We spent an entire summer doing pool sessions and studying together. Our first open water dive was at Anacapa Island, at a little cove called Goldfish Bowl. That day was life changing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.havilahabrego.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/havilahabrego
Image Credits
Adam Ernster
