Influential Woman · Visual Arts

Monica Loncola

Artist, Owner, MVL Fine Arts

San Rafael, CA

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Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Master's degree in Science Illustration from California State University of Monterey Bay

Her Story

About Monica

My work is all about the life on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, inspired by a trip I took during my master's program in science illustration at California State University of Monterey Bay. I was awarded an internship with the Western Flyer Foundation, working on the historic 70-foot fishing boat that John Steinbeck and marine biologist Ed Ricketts took to the Sea of Cortez in 1940. That boat had been used as a fishing vessel until 2013 when it sank in Tacoma, Washington. A gentleman bought it, invested $8 million into restoring it over 10 years, and turned it into a state-of-the-art classroom for marine biology on Monterey Bay. I joined the foundation on the 85th anniversary trip retracing Steinbeck and Ricketts' journey, traveling on a small cruise ship that shadowed the Western Flyer down to La Paz. We stopped at every location that Steinbeck wrote about in his book, with Steinbeck scholars reading passages each day. Twice a day we'd go out on skiffs to snorkel, scuba, hike, or meander through tide pools. I drew and made a body of work based on that trip, which became my show at the NOAA Foundation and led to the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History offering me a solo museum show opening in September 2026. The Western Flyer Foundation's mission is to marry science, art, literature, and storytelling, and through my work as an artist, I'm not a scientist, but I do know a lot about what interests me, which happens to be life along the edge of oceans. I grew up drawing things from the ocean. While at school, I had to learn Adobe Creative Suite, which was very challenging, but I managed it. My work morphed out of journaling in my book when I was on location, and I think it will be interesting for people to see how a thought process started and then how I bring it to fruition in a museum show.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Monica

01What do you attribute your success to?

I feel so blessed that I have this talent, and I think it's very important to not waste it. After taking care of my father for six years, who hadn't been in my life for 25 years, I didn't hold on to any of that. When he passed, he left me some money, and then I went to school, and that paid for my tuition. My kids were grown and out of the house, so I said I wanted to do a deep dive for myself, do something for Monica. I think the message is to not embrace fear, just embrace your passion, and don't worry about naysayers. The only thing that's easy is to dive into my work. I got my student ID and my Medicare card the same week when I was at school, which is incredible to say. I think it's also important to do something that will stir curiosity in other people, taking a call to action. Maybe they don't draw, but maybe they can join some conservancy thing with the beaches, or the ocean, or whatever.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

Don't embrace fear, just embrace your passion, and don't worry about naysayers. I think that gives people, or women maybe, that aspect of it. I went back to school when I was 65 after COVID and got my degree and master's in science illustration. I got my student ID and my Medicare card the same week when I was at school, which is incredible to say. I think the message is just in general, because TikTok, you know, I mean, look what's going on out there, and the only thing that's easy is to dive into my work. I think it's very important to not waste your talent, and I think it's also important to do something that will stir curiosity in other people, taking a call to action. Maybe they don't draw, but maybe they can join some conservancy thing with the beaches, or the ocean, or whatever.

03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I feel so blessed that I have this talent, and I think it's very important to not waste it. I think it's also important to do something that will stir curiosity in other people, taking a call to action. When I took care of my father, who actually hadn't been in my life for 25 years because my mom died when I was young and he married a woman and that whole thing, I didn't hold on to any of that. I just said, okay, this is what it looks like when I take care of you, everything's legal, everything's on the books. After he passed and left me some money, I went to school, and that paid for my tuition. I wanted to do a deep dive for myself, do something for Monica. The Western Flyer Foundation's mission is to marry science, art, literature, and storytelling, and through my work as an artist, I'm helping to fulfill that mission even though I'm not a scientist.

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