Arte by Mao

Paint the
moment you love.

Custom paintings and illustrations of surfers, swimmers, dancers, and the people who matter to you.

Painting of a surfer with curly hair carrying a white board out of the water, signed MAO Sep 2026

Selected work

Ocean, dance, and portraits

Digital illustration with clean color, soft shading, and painterly water and skies. Every piece is signed MAO. Tap any piece to see it larger.

Out of the waterSurf
Mounting the foilHydrofoil
Open waterSwim
Flamenco in redDance
LunaresDance
BackhandTennis
Portrait in blackPortrait

About

Hi, I'm Mao.

I paint people doing what they love: walking out of the surf, climbing onto a foil, swimming open water, playing tennis, dancing flamenco. I work digitally, with clean color and soft light, and I love painting water and sky.

Most of my work is custom. You bring the moment, a photo, or an idea, and I turn it into an illustration you can print, frame, or give. I also share sketches, drawings, and draw this in your style (DTIYS) challenges on Instagram.

  • Medium Digital illustration, sketches, drawings
  • Subjects Ocean sports, tennis, flamenco, portraits
  • Seen at Venice Pier Block Party
  • NFTs No, original art only

Commissions

Get your own piece

Custom paintings of you, your crew, your dog, or your favorite day in the water.

  1. Send your idea

    Message me with who or what you want painted, plus a few reference photos.

  2. Agree on details

    We settle size, style, timeline, and price before I start.

  3. Get your art

    I share progress along the way and deliver the finished piece, ready to print.

Pricing depends on size and detail. Ask for a quote.

Message me on Instagram

Contact

Let's make something.

The fastest way to reach me is a direct message on Instagram. I'm also on Threads and TikTok.

@arte_by_mao