Daniela Oliver de Portillo plans to hide 50 handmade ceramic brooches featuring cyanotype flowers around Pearl at surprise times, from now through Mother’s Day.
SAN ANTONIO — Pearl is one of Daniela Oliver de Portillo’s favorite places in the Alamo City – it’s also the setting for her newest art campaign, Hidden Blooms II.
In this project, the San Antonio artist focuses on motherhood and its ever-changing cycle of ups and downs.
“It’s something worth celebrating, something worth acknowledging, something worth honoring,” Daniela said.
For ‘Hidden Blooms II,’ Daniela plans to hide 50 handmade ceramic brooches featuring cyanotype flowers around Pearl at surprise times through Mother’s Day. Daniela will post clues on Instagram about where and when you can find the blooms, while Pearl will also share updates on its Instagram Stories.
“These blooms are intended for mothers to find or for people to find and give to their moms for Mother’s Day” Daniela said.
A special time in Daniela’s life
Daniela reached out to Pearl about her unique art project because it held special meaning during her time as a new mom.
“Pearl is most likely one of the first places that I felt comfortable taking my newborn to,” she said.
Daniela recalled feeling vulnerable at that stage especially with her firstborn child, but Pearl was easy to navigate whether the day was going well or not – mostly depending on her toddler’s mood.
“When you go to Pearl you see that range of what motherhood is – from the very beautiful moment where the sun is shining and everything is perfect to when it all exploded and you just need to get back to your car as soon as you can,” Daniela said while laughing.
Now, when she goes to Pearl with her kids who are a little older, she sees other moms experiencing what she went through.
“I see all these mothers enjoying Pearl in the same way that I used to enjoy Pearl. But now, I also see grandparents enjoying Pearl in the same way that I will enjoy Pearl.”
Daniela said she finds herself smiling as she watches mothers bask in the good days, while also empathizing with those guiding a screaming child away from the crowds – because, in all honesty, every mother can relate.
“I see you, I’m with you,” Daniela said of both instances – that’s why it’s so important for her to make this artwork for the unsung hero, for mom – a person in Daniela’s life that shaped her as an artist.
“I’m an artist thanks to her and thanks to my dad,” Daniela said fondly.
Daniela’s mother, Carmen Oliver, is also an artist and has been for more than 50 years and previously owned a successful flower shop.
Artistry runs in the family
Daniela credits her mother’s shop with inspiring her love of flowers – a subject she frequently uses in her work, especially in “Hidden Blooms” and “Hidden Blooms II.”
“One of my earliest core memories is the smell of a flower shop. Whenever I enter one, I remember those days,” Daniela said.
And for Daniela and Carmen, flowers aren’t just a symbol – they’re something they both know firsthand.
“We had the wonderful opportunity to exhibit both of our work at Bihl Haus Arts in an exhibition called Botanical Sensations,” Daniela said of the pandemic-era exhibition.
Daniela had just returned to artmaking after decades in PR and marketing.
“It was a very difficult time and I had no inspiration, no ideas but I just knew that I wanted to be making something with my hands,” Daniela said.
To deal with the isolating pressure, she bought a botanical line-drawing book, hoping to make just one drawing of a plant every day.
During this time, Daniela and Carmen didn’t see each other as often due to the social-distancing guidelines, but were sometimes able to glimpse each other through the glass of Carmen’s garden door.
As Daniela continued to create drawings of plants, she asked her mom how she was passing the time – not realizing her mother had turned to painting flowers.
“It was so funny,” Daniela recalled of the exchange.
But soon Daniela was also working on a new series aptly called, “Invasive Species.”
“It’s called Invasive Species because my children ultimately ended up doodling on top-of-the-line drawings that I did,” Daniela said.
At first, Daniela said she was quite upset but realized it conveyed the anguish that all parents go through.
“Everything that we are was being invaded by this sense of responsibility,” she said.
While Daniela dealt with the chaotic turn of events from her artwork, Carmen was working at Bihl Haus Arts, teaching community workshops through zoom.
But somehow, someway both women were able to debut their respective plant-focused artworks in their dual installation “Botanical Sensations.”
“It was like all of these years of being surrounded by flowers and seeing my mom work on her own flowers and it just kind of seeped in through me,” Daniela said.
But despite their tight-knit closeness, Daniela admits they don’t always see eye-to-eye, though very rarely do they argue over art.
“We fight about normal stuff like all Hispanic, Latino families and then we make up like 30 minutes later,” Daniela said. “But I think if someone were to see us fighting, they would be like ‘oh they’re never going to talk to each other again. It’s over for them.’ But no, thirty minutes later everything is fine.”
And both artists agree they try to be respectful of each other’s style and path but frequently turn to one another for advice on composition and color – all while recognizing they’re in very different stages of life.
“You’re enjoying life, you’re retired, taking it slow and right now I am taking it more seriously than I should,” Daniela said to her mother.
Carmen added, “Art is for me and for my soul, to enjoy life. I don’t care if somebody likes my work. It’s for me, inside me.”
Daniela responded, “I think I should learn from that because sometimes you’re thinking about ‘I want to be in the show,’ I want to get this commission or something like that and my mom really does her art just for her own enjoyment. And that’s something that I need to learn from, to relax and just enjoy the process.”
Turning art into surprise gifts
And that love of creating art lingered, culminating into Daniela’s “Hidden Blooms.”
As another way of passing the time during the yearslong pandemic, Daniela took ceramics classes, falling in love with the medium – making bowls and plates and everything she could.
“And I got the idea of leaving them at random places,” Daniela said similar to seeing painted rocks in public places.
“I would leave a few things here and there with a note of encouragement saying something like: we are never going to meet each other but we’re in this together, hang on tight, you’ll get through this, life is beautiful regardless.”
Daniela said she loved leaving the art and notes – a memory that stayed in the back of her mind.
Later on, she saw the San Antonio River Foundation through their public art program, had an open call for artistic projects and while public art is usually an installation or a sculpture in a park or public place, Daniela had a different proposal.
“What if that work of art is for you and you can actually take it home with you?”
Daniela said she was fortunate to have her project approved and started making handmade ceramic vases, putting paper cyanotype flowers inside and throughout the month of August 2025 she hid them along the Mission Trail River.
“And people found them and it was a really beautiful moment of connection. And to let people have art for free and to find it,” Daniela said.
“I think it was nice idea to give a present to people,” Carmen added.
But after “Hidden Blooms” ended, Daniela was left feeling bittersweet.
“And after I dropped the last one off that was it and there were no more,” Daniela said.
She said part of her felt really grateful because in giving the artwork she received so much love, support and inspiring interactions with people.
“I really want to do this again. I have to do this again. I really want to do this again. I think I want to do like Hidden Blooms season 1, Hidden Blooms season 2, 3, 4, I mean let’s do this,” Daniela said about her reflection on the project.
And thankfully, she was able to propose a similar idea to Pearl with her handmade ceramic brooches for “Hidden Blooms 2.”
Daniela said she is almost finished with the project ahead of its Mother’s Day launch – the flowers are drawn, the ceramic vases crafted, just needing some paint and a gentle finishing touch as Daniela and Carmen work side by side.
“I am so excited to have an opportunity to do this again. And now it’s going to have a really beautiful twist.”
“Hidden Blooms II” will debut May 4 and runs through Mother’s Day as a special scavenger hunt experience. Daniela will also host a community artist workshop at Pearl Makers Market where kids and families can create their own blooms on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information about Hidden Blooms II and Daniela, click here.
