I use art as a way to express events and feelings that occur in my day-to-day life that I cannot put into words. Through difficult times I find artistic expression as a more fulfilling way to communicate my emotions than words are. I tend to people-watch and overthink my relationships between my friends and family, which has been the basis of the majority of my artwork. My goal with every painting is to make a compositionally sophisticated piece with content that is unique to each person who views it.
I use acrylic paint to piece together layered, nonobjective paintings that entice an emotion out of my audience. Acrylic paint is simple but allows me to manipulate it by changing the viscosity, texture, and color which are all factors I enjoy playing with while creating a painting. I spend time carefully crafting each layer with multiple different sizes and shapes of palette knives in order to come out with an interesting composition in the end. The palette knives allow me to create rough, jagged marks that appear more natural than a smooth brush stroke. I always keep the wet paint that builds up over the course of a painting on my knives, which allows me to go back through and make unique marks that have every color in the painting combined. Abstract Expressionism allows me to be fluid with my paintings and not get attached to a particular mark. I often go back over portions of the painting with colors from the base layer to correct it and explore other options for what marks I can make. Each of my paintings has its own story within the layers of the canvas. I have always explored the topic of emotion in my work. I have experimented with different surfaces and media, but Abstract Expressionism has been my concentration over the past year. My goal with every piece is to have a documented exploration of mark-making, color, composition, and texture. I have slowly introduced new methods of painting into my work, such as drips of thin paint and dried paint skin, to create a unique signature and style in my pieces. My work showcases a unique use of mark-making and composition that ignites emotions within my audience. |