Our Story
We’re Michele and Soqui—a mother-daughter duo who enjoy making art, hearing people’s stories, and hanging out with our dog Marley.
In the early ’90s, Michele and Ray moved to Roatan, Honduras, drawn by the Mesoamerican reef. Ray ran a dive resort. Michele turned her passion for painting into Waves of Art (WoA), a gallery and gift shop that became a home for the work of local creatives, including the iconic self-taught artist Virginia “Virgie” Castillo. Soqui grew up surrounded by art, ocean, and a community of incredibly talented people.
In late 2024, we launched WoA Collective to carry that creative legacy forward. We want to celebrate the beauty of the Caribbean, support artists we believe in, and continue to create work that conveys the experiences that shape us.
Thank you for being here!
The Artists
Michele Braun
Art and travel have shaped Michele’s life ever since her early twenties, when she spent a year hitchhiking through Europe with a sketchpad and set of watercolors. As an art...
Michele Braun
Michele Braun
Ray Lopez
Ray grew up in central California, not far from the Pacific Ocean, where an early connection to nature and the sea began to shape his creative outlook. He studied art...
Ray Lopez
Ray Lopez
Soqui Lopez
Growing up in a household with two artists parents, Soqui spent her childhood sketching and painting the natural beauty of Honduras. Influenced by her mother’s refined watercolor technique and her...
Soqui Lopez
Soqui Lopez
Virgie
Virginia Castillo, affectionately known as Virgie, was able to soak up the diverse and colorful culture of the Caribbean. Entirely self taught, over the years, she has developed her won...
