Weblight Dreams Studio

Artist Statement

Dora Gonzalez is a South Texas surrealist who paints dreams with her roots. As the daughter of a Vietnam War veteran, she's carved her path with resilience, turning life's grit into hauntingly beautiful portraits. Every brushstroke whispers a story of heritage, survival, and the magic she conjures from the ordinary.

Dora wields oils and acrylics like a storyteller's tools. She layers vibrant, nostalgia-soaked hues with recurring symbols: birds in flight, lifted masks, and fragmented forms that unravel the subconscious. Each piece is a dance between identity and illusion, where every color pulls you deeper into her dream world.

Her art is both personal and communal: a space to process, question, and heal. It brings her peace and serves as an offering to those navigating their own battles, a reminder that there’s power in sharing our stories.

Group Exhibitions

2026

Magic, Mystery & Fantasy Rio Bravo Artes, Mi Vida Loca Gallery, Corpus Christi, TX – May 1-30, 2026

The 7th Annual Will'n Shakespeare Festival, The Weslaco Museum, Weslaco, TX – April 11-May 16, 2026

Chocolate & Art Show, Garage HTX, Houston, TX - April 10-11, 2026

MXLAN Festival, McAllen Convention Center Grounds, McAllen, TX March 6-8, 2026

Gradients: A Spectrum of Artists, UTRGV Charles and Dorothy Clark Art Gallery, Edinburg, TX – March 2-13, 2026

2025-2026

IMAS 5th Annual Members' Juried Art Show, International Museum of Art & Science, McAllen, TX - Nov 22-Feb 15, 2026

2024-2025

The Pancakes & Booze Art Show, Austin, TX - October 11, 2025

Dimensions LII, Art Center of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX October 3 - November 1, 2025

Art Under $100, Austin, TX -September 27, 2025

Glimpses of Nature, 12x12 Works by Rio Bravo Artes, San Benito Culture Center, San Benito TX - July 21-October 17, 2025

South Texas State Art Fair, Edinburg Cultural Arts, Edinburg, TX June 13-14, 2025
Small Works Showcase, Movement on Montrose, Chicago, IL - July 12-August 24, 2025
Pride in Color, Art Center of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX June 6 - June 28, 2025

Group Exhibition, Blue Onion, McAllen, TX – May24–July 18, 2025
Evolution, Royal Grocer Gallery, Chicago, IL – May22–June 20, 2025

MXLAN Festival, McAllen Convention Center Grounds, McAllen, TX May 9-11, 2025
956 Women’s Power, Roosevelt’s at 7, McAllen, TX – April 4–25, 2025
Exposed, La Chicharra Studio, Brownsville, TX – March 29–April 23, 2025
Cuerpos Desnudos, Run Pony Run Gallery, McAllen, TX – March 7–8, 2025

12"x12" ANIMALES Y PAISAJES Rio Bravo Artes, Mi Vida Loca Gallery, Corpus Christi, TX – Sept 6, 2024-July 10, 2025

Duo Exhibitions
2025
Women’s History Month Exhibition, Sgt. Fernando De La Rosa Memorial Library, Alamo, TX – March 1–April 24, 2025

Upcoming Group Exhibitions

The Pancakes & Booze Art Show, Austin, TX - May 30, 2026

Workshops Led

Frida Kahlo Acrylic Painting Workshop, Palm View Library, McAllen, TX – September 29, 2025

Van Gogh Acrylic Painting Workshop, Sgt. Fernando De La Rosa Memorial Library, Alamo, TX – August 11, 2025

Beach Acrylic Painting Workshop, Sgt. Fernando De La Rosa Memorial Library, Alamo, TX – July 10, 2025
Artist Talk: "Adding Color to Your Life with Art," Sgt Fernando De La Rosa Memorial Library, June 27, 2025

Drawn to Your Library Painting Workshop, Sgt. Fernando De La Rosa Memorial Library, Alamo, TX – April 8, 2025
Acrylic Painting Workshop, Sgt. Fernando De La Rosa Memorial Library, Alamo, TX – March 10, 2025

Workshops Attended
Banner Workshop – Aram Han Sifuentes / UTRGV, September 20, 2024
Open Call Workshop – TruchaRGV, September 12, 2024

Educational Background
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley -BFA in Fine Arts, 2018
Magna Cum Laude; Dean’s List 2017-2018
Texas A&M University-Kingsville, 2001-2007

Work Experience
2025 – Drawing & Painting Instructor, Dora’s Cozy Art Studio
2019 – Painting Instructor, Tipsy Canvas
2013–2016 – Author & Narrator, BigWorldNetwork2025
2003–2004 – Chief Editor, TAMUK Writer's Bloc Literary Magazine

Volunteer Work
September 29, 2025 – Palm View Library, McAllen, TX
March-August 2025 – Sgt. Fernando De La Rosa Memorial Library, Alamo, TX 

Skills & Proficiencies
Painting & Drawing Media: Oils, acrylics, watercolor, inks, gouache, graphite, and
mixed media collage
Screen printing (hand-pulled, multi-color)
Sculpture (hand-building with various clays)
Studio Practices: Canvas prep, surface priming, and framing
Adobe Photoshop (editing, retouching, color correction)
Book cover design (hand-drawn & digital compositing)
2D animation & storyboarding (traditional & digital tools)

Published Works
Fantasy Coloring Book: Coloring for Adult and Kids Paperback, Self Published, June 29, 2022
Let’s Write a Story – Contributing Author, Collaborative Series, The Monitor, 2020
Rise of the Dragons: Book Two of Severi, BigWorldNetwork, 2014–2015
The Five Kingdoms of Severi: Book One – The Keys of Destiny, Paperback,
BigWorldNetwork, 2014

Collections

I Won't Be Silenced, 10"x10" Acrylic Painting on Canvas 2025, Private Collection, Houston, TX

Frida Kahlo Portrait, 24"x18" Acrylic Painting on Canvas 2026, City of Edinburg Cultural Arts, Edinburg, TX

Van Gogh's Starry Night Study, 9"x12" Acrylic Painting on Canvas Panel 2025, Private Collection, McAllen, TX

Sight Seeing, 8.5"x6.5" Acrylic Painting on Wood 2025, Private Collection, McAllen, TX

Mona Lisa Study w\a Twist, 8"x5" Acrylic Painting on Canvas Panel 2025, Private Collection, Edinburg, TX

Nature's Song, 8"x8" Acrylic Painting on Canvas 2025, Private Collection, Austin, TX

Untitled Nude Study No.2, 16"x20" Oil Painting on Canvas 2025, Private Collection, Austin, TX
Much Needed Healing, 9 1/2"x8 1/2" Screen Print on Arches Paper Edition#5/10, Private Collection, Austin, TX
Untitled Blue Jay No.1, 10"x10" Acrylic Painting w\Gold Leaf on Canvas 2025, Private Collection, Austin, TX
Monarch at Rest, 8"x8" Acrylic Painting on Wood 2025, Private Collection, Austin, TX
Elegant Innocence, 10"x10" Acrylic Painting on Canvas 2025, Private Collection, Austin, TX
Much Needed Healing, 9 1/2"x8 1/2" Screen Print on Arches Paper Edition#8/10, Private Collection, Chicago, IL

Inner Window of Instability, Screen Print on Paper Edition#2/5 Private Collection, McAllen, TX

I Am Cleopatra, 12"x12" Acrylic Painting on Burlap 2025, Private Collection, Austin, TX

Forevermore, 8"x10" Mixed Media Painting 2025, Private Collection, Pharr, TX

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