Kim Salinas Silva (M.F.A., painting, 2011) was born in Minden, LA and currently resides in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. She describes her paintings as being like a puzzle. They are improvisatory; she sets out on a trip to a place she's never before been before to see what will happen. When a painting is so strange, oddly charactered and emotionally relevant, it is complete. The story might be completely fantastic, yet couched in human emotions. It is an absorbing adventure, with the process being as engaging as the result. Dark humor along with exploring the range of human pathos is her focus.