Initiative Radio interviews ME !!! take a listen if you like

"Although it may seem cliché to say that art can be a healing element for people, Angela's guest Marthalicia Mataritta, a New York City born painter is a living testament to this sentiment. As a youth, she and her two brothers grew up in an unstable fashion with their ailing mother and the family moved between New York City and Massachusetts, then between the Dominican Republic and back to New York City, where they lived in cramped quarters and finally in a homeless shelter.

Children are resilient however and Marthalicia and her brothers were no exception. They used art and music to distract them from all of the negative events that resulted from their nomadic lifestyle. So strong was Marthalicia's passion for art, that her natural talent and enthusiasm won her the opportunity to attend the reputable La Guardia High School for Music, Art and Performing Arts and thereafter, with a military scholarship she attended college to finalize her formal studies in Visual Arts.

Today, Marthalicia is the mother of an energetic four year old boy and a busy live painter, who engages in art battles. Art battle competitions are an exciting part of New York City's dynamic art and music scene and for skilled painters like Marthalicia who are both talented and expeditious with their craft, the rewards can be tremendous and an artist's popularity can soar in a relatively short amount of time. The story of Marthalcia Matarrita is an inspiration to her fellow artists and to people who are facing adversity in their lives" ~Angela Mckenzie.

http://www.archive.org/details/IR-08-48