Artist Statement
My work from this semester is titled Flowers. My family and my experiences have shaped my work. Growing up, my mom kept a Georgia O’Keeffe book on our living room coffee table. With my floral design background and my predominantly feminine influence, including art by Georgia O’Keeffe, I chose to do a series of large flower drawings for my senior project which focuses on growth.
When I think of growth, I like to think in optimistic terms, so my work shows flowers either blooming or in full bloom. Today’s society is all about capturing the height of beauty, and my work attempts to preserve the perfection of flowers. My process includes using white and black Conte crayons to create high-contrast images, which plays into the societal ideas behind my work. The flowers that I draw are soft and “pretty,” but while they are pleasing to the eye, they express larger themes than what might be seen from first glance.
The high contrast qualities of my work is influenced by my education--including my drawing from life class--and black and white photographers such as Edward Weston. The colors in some of my drawing are inspired by my peers and mentors and artists such as Priscilla Steele. I keep the backgrounds of my drawings subtle to reflect my impressionist influence.
My drawings capture the height of beauty in the flowers, but the mistakes I made throughout the process are still visible. Behind this is the idea that we can correct our mistakes but they are still there because making mistakes is a part of growth. My family, education, and experiences have shaped my high contrasting work. My art shows growth in a visually pleasing and positive light.