in spring + summer 2024 i created a series of works reflecting my inner and outer landscapes. in a state of transition, just like the seasons, i painted the emotionality of everything that was moving in and around me.
painting this body of work, i found a sense of confidence in my voice, color theory, technique, medium, and overall sensibility—after beginning painting in 2021. my practice has been self-taught and guided by exploration, love of color, and the many emotions within my body.
many things connected, i made paintings that i had been trying to make years prior, but couldn’t figure out how to do. some of my favorites being “candy,” “lilacs,” and “secret garden.” i studied great abstract painters i had never heard of prior—richard mayhew and alma thomas, who inspired me to try new things such as with “mother” and “magnolias.”
moving on the show
an intimate 2 day art gallery showcasing my 2024 series
curated in my apartment in urbana, illinois
while making these works, i was heavily studying the great alma thomas who influenced me plenty. her affiliation with the barnett-aden art gallery, which was in a home, sparked the idea of wanting to try this concept one day. naturally, when thinking about showing these works, i wanted it at home. i burnt out of trying to strictly show my artwork online and was craving a more intimate, real life connection with people and my work.
curating the show made the series make so much sense to me. even being able to final name it “moving on” which came from the naming of the final piece of work that never saw the light of day until the show. things were completed in ways i couldn’t imagine, just by bringing it all together physically.
i was in a state of transition, moving homes, while this series came to be. i painted these transitions // the seasons of life but also the seasons of nature. all my thoughts, feelings, and visuals moving in and around me. the fact that it landed in the home that i also landed in, ties the perfect bow around this 2 year journey. i’m wrapping things up, moving things forward.
