Elizabeth Erazo Baez was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Puerto Rican parents, and her work is a vivid celebration of that heritage. Raised between cultures, she found her voice through art, blending the vibrancy of the Caribbean with the rhythm of city life. Her paintings are rich with symbolism drawn from Puerto Rico’s lush landscapes, flora, and traditions, and she often paints with a deep sense of place and belonging. With over two decades of experience as both an artist and an educator, Baez has shared her love of art in classrooms and studios, helping others tap into their own creativity. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Art Education from Florida International University and continues to explore the power of visual storytelling. In 2022, she illustrated Alicia and the Hurricane: A Story of Puerto Rico by Lesléa Newman, marking her debut as a published illustrator.
Baez’s painting A Portrait of a Latina (2025) is a direct, emotional, and deeply rooted statement. At 18 by 24 inches, this acrylic work on a gesso panel commands attention not through size, but through presence. The subject is a young Latina surrounded by vivid flowers—some woven into her hair, others blooming around her. It’s a composition that radiates warmth, confidence, and cultural pride.
This is not a generic portrait. It is layered with meaning. The flowers speak of resilience and beauty, perhaps referencing Puerto Rico’s own history—rich, complex, often challenged, yet never diminished. The figure’s expression is calm but unyielding. Her gaze is steady, unafraid. There’s no shyness in this piece. Instead, Baez gives us strength, dignity, and a certain grounded elegance.
What makes the painting even more compelling is its balance. Baez’s brushwork is precise yet fluid. The flowers are not decorative—they’re integrated into the identity of the subject. Color is used with care: deep reds, warm oranges, fresh greens, all pulling from the tropical palette of the Caribbean. The subject doesn’t pose for the viewer. She exists entirely in her own space, and the viewer is invited in with respect, not command.
As a painter with a background in education, Baez brings both technique and intention to her work. Her use of acrylics gives the painting a clean clarity, while the gesso panel allows for textures that subtly draw in the light. The choice of medium enhances the feeling of immediacy—there is a freshness to the paint that matches the vitality of the subject.
Baez’s decision to focus on a Latina identity is also personal and political. In a time when representation continues to matter, this portrait feels like both a celebration and a declaration. It says: this is who I am, and this is who we are. It’s not a romanticized image or a stereotype. The subject’s pride is evident, but so is her complexity. She’s not made to please. She’s painted to be seen.
The painting reflects Baez’s larger approach to artmaking—one rooted in connection to ancestry, environment, and community. Her years as an educator show through in how she layers meaning. Every detail carries intention. Nothing is random. Yet the work doesn’t feel academic. It feels alive.
“A Portrait of a Latina” also connects to Baez’s broader portfolio, where themes of identity, nature, and memory come up again and again. There’s a reverence in her paintings—for family, for land, for culture. Her work often blends the figurative and the symbolic, allowing viewers to feel rather than decode. This is art that speaks plainly and powerfully.
In many ways, the painting also echoes her role as illustrator of Alicia and the Hurricane. That book, centered on a young girl in Puerto Rico facing a powerful storm, touched on themes of home, loss, and resilience. It’s not hard to imagine that same Alicia growing up to become the confident woman in this portrait.
Baez isn’t trying to redefine art history. She’s trying to make space for stories like her own. Stories grounded in culture, shaped by migration, told through color and form. With A Portrait of a Latina, she offers a reflection of pride, rootedness, and quiet strength—one that many will recognize, and even more will admire.
