Valencia Washington showcased her artwork at a Lunch at the Library event at the Selma-Dallas County Library on Thursday.

Washington has been surrounded and immersed in art even before she could read.

“My mom would buy me these watercolor paints by number sets,” she said. “That was before I could even read. I was maybe two or three years old, and I would do those things constantly every day, all day. I that was my love.

“I feel like because I did it at such a young age, it was like I could see the colors before I could see anything else.”

Washington was born in Oceanside, California and raised all over the United States as a self-proclaimed military brat.

She made her way to Selma, where her mother and father are from, after graduating high school and moving down south for college.

Washington said the abstract sparks her imagination.

“I want to create something that people have totally different point of views on,” said Washington.

She achieved that at the Lunch at the Library event.

Displayed behind Washington as she worked was three different completed paintings.

Each attendee saw something different in each painting from animals to plants and even an ocean during a storm.

Washington specializes in what is known as fluid art, which is also known as flow art, liquid art or paint pouring, is a form of abstract art.

“It is where you mix different colors and it is placed onto the canvas,” said Washington.

Washington performs this painting while playing music, and painting the emotions the music makes her experience.

“YouTube is your best friend,” she said when asked about how she learned to do this type of artwork.

“Most people think artists get their inspiration from other art, but I get my inspiration from books and music,” she said. “I take the words from the books and the melodies from the songs and I put an emotion to it.”