We had the good fortune of connecting with Christina Foss and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christina, how do you think about risk?
I strongly believe that risk is a necessary ingredient in the recipe for success. Like my mother always told me, ¨Nothing ventured, nothing gained.¨ It was a huge risk for me to resign from my 13-year career as a high school teacher in Massachusetts to move to Miami and pursue my art fulltime. Taking a risk is scary and uncomfortable, but nothing good ever comes from your comfort zone. Being uncomfortable promotes growth. Within the first six months of my art journey here in Miami I have accomplished more than I ever thought I would and met some heavy hitters in the art world. Without taking that initial risk to completely change my life, none of this would have been possible. It’s only up from here!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I like to say that what I do artistically is called pop realism. Realism, a painting technique in which artists paint realistic looking images, such as portraits, is definitely my strength as an artist. I like to combine this with pop art, which is more free and less tedious. This allows me to push myself to perfect my technical skills while also exploring fun concepts within my art. I love to use various mediums and recently have started making custom basketball hoops. I love the hands on approach. I do all my own wood cutting, sanding, and even hand craft my chain basketball nets.

Over the years I have built up quite a full resume of notable clients, such as Jerome Baker, Janoris JackRabbit Jenkins, Snoop Dogg, DJ Luian, 2 Chainz, Drakula, Rick Ross and more. It hasn’t been easy, but the journey is bigger than the destination. I’ve had to travel and network and grind, grind, grind! I am excited to see what the future holds!

Along this journey I have learned that nobody owes you anything. You have to believe in yourself and simply make it happen one day at a time. I have learned to value the people who support me, pay no mind to those who don’t and to always show love. Spread love and positivity and it will come back to you.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Miami is Miami! You can’t go wrong. I would definitely take them to the beach and insist they get in the ocean, not just lay on the sand. Wynwood is a must. The art is something that has to be seen! In terms of restaurants, this is a hard one. Miami has some of the best food in the country, hands down! The grilled octopus at DOLCE is superb and Puerto Sagua is a hidden gem for great Cuban food on South Beach.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout story to my mother, Janet. She has always been my greatest supporter and without a doubt, my best friend. I owe all of my success to her. I must also dedicate this to my greatest artistic inspiration of all time, the one and only Kanye West.

Website: www.fossmoves.com

Instagram: @fossmoves

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