Explorations: Peace and Resolution
This collection is titled "Explorations: Peace and Resolution" because, simply, it is an exploration. As a self-trained artist, I felt it honest for the first collection I release to be an authentic reflection of me finding my own style. In the Spring and Summer of 2024, I was inspired by the seasons and literature. I found peace in creating, learning about oil painting as a medium, and playing with light, shape, and composition.
Ophelia
A representation of the Hamlet protagonist, she faces away and into darkness. Low contrast highlights her shoulder and glass as she looks away.
Reclining Adam
A modern representation of biblical Adam, clothed on his lower half, splayed out on a couch after tasting the forbidden fruit. He is positioned relaxed, as if laying in a hammock on a summer's day.
Still Life (Study)
In my self training, I looked to mimic a fundamental step in finding my style. This still life is not based on a photograph or setting. Instead, it is a test of my own perceptions of light and depth.
Cerulean (Study)
Another study, Cerulean is an reimagination of Romeo and Juliet's Lady Capulet. Saturated hues emphasize her bow and shoulder, as she turns her back on her daughter.
In August of 2024, my sister, Elizabeth, passed. She had been an incredibly supportive voice while I veered into art and painting. I would share any and everything I worked on with her, and we talked about art often. We spent a lot of time in the impressionism wing at the Chicago Art Institute and took advantage of the gallery scene in New York City. After her death, I took a step back from painting. In the winter months, I returned to art as a source of resolution and processing. These paintings are far less formulaic and realistic. I leaned into the more expressive and freeing moments in my art, and let feelings dictate light, perspective, and composition.
Martini Blues
The Dancers
Pond (Study)
