Artist Statement

          Within my sustained investigation, I explored the theme of nostalgia through portraiture and vivid colors. I aimed to convey influential moments of my life by incorporating clouds and dynamic backgrounds to symbolize what makes me who I am today. Initially, I struggled to connect my works, but over time, I began to notice how each piece evoked nostalgic feelings. As I delved deeper into my creative process, I focused on tapping into past memories to highlight the emotional significance of each piece. Splash and Ocean Breeze were my first oil paintings. In these, I experimented with the movement of water and discovered my enjoyment for painting clouds. Ocean Breeze, in particular, inspired me to incorporate strings of clouds into several of my later works, as I became captivated by both the process and the symbolism they carried. Through experimenting with different mediums, I sought to capture the various phases of my life and reflect how they’ve shaped who I am today. Foster Falls and Baby Steps influenced my decision to focus on portraiture, with either dynamic or colorful backgrounds. These pieces further helped me improve my ability to add shadow, movement, and color matching to the individuals depicted, deepening my understanding of how to express not only the physical likeness of my subjects but also their emotional presence. Through this journey of exploration and experimentation, I learned to use nostalgia, color, and portraiture to not only capture the essence of my past, but also to express the profound impact it has had in shaping who I am today.