Artist Aruna Rao paints picturesque countryside and rural scenes with delightful nuances in light, color, and atmosphere. "The particular tone of light and how it subtly transforms land as it moves across space inspires me," says Aruna. Coming from a literary family in India, she was exposed to the art world early and fell in love with the rich stories and images. Aruna set her creative dreams aside to take formal computer education and worked in the IT industry for 20 years. She later pursued her true passion and enrolled in the MFA painting program of San Francisco's Academy of Art University, where she flourished and graduated with top honors. Aruna applied her literary background by building emotional narratives that integrate aspects of human life into her landscapes. Her central theme of creating a sense of place develops and deepens her work. She works from her home studio in Florida in a multi-functional space dedicated to her creative process—from developing concepts to completion. Never too far from nature, she loves going outdoors and gaining inspiration from her surroundings. Aruna also revels in watching films and discovering music with her husband and two cats.