I have heard many times over that art is only an act of expression and creation, but I believe that it can also be an emotional release and an escape through imagination. Sometimes when I find myself weighed down by my troubles, I find refuge in creating cute, fun, and imaginative worlds and characters that make me smile. While my other body of work is symbolic and full of deeper meaning, these fun pieces only serve to bring joy to myself and others. When I show that work to others, it’s an invitation to experience the creative world and characters that I’ve built. 

It’s unhealthy for emotions to be pushed down and held onto, so my other body of work helps expel heavy emotions such as sadness, isolation, heartbreak, inadequacy, and emptiness or prevent an overflow of emotions, giving them a place to safely land without leaking into other areas of life. There are many times where I feel uncomfortable letting my feelings be known and would rather hide them away where no one can see them, but doing this for too long has negative effects. If I release my emotions through art, it is a safer way to get rid of them. It’s a way of release that doesn’t require me to rely on others, open up, or show my vulnerable side, which could result in judgement or rejection. All I need is myself, paint, and a paintbrush.

To make my artwork an even safer place for me to release my feelings, I cushion the meanings of my pieces behind symbolism. The symbolic imagery I use adds a dreamy surrealistic quality to my work, which fits well with the strong emotions of the piece, since they are also intangible and difficult to understand. I like to use figures that are women in my work, because they are seen as soft, fragile, and emotional. I use the imagery of cake and desserts often, because it shows how we can be kind and sweet but are also soft and crush easily under pressure. I use oil paint because the medium allows me to blend and create soft looking textures and gradients, which enhances the dreamy qualities and softness of my work.

I use sweet and soft imagery in the work, creating a strong contrast between cute images and the darker meanings and ideas they hold. It shocks the viewer but also acts as a buffer for delivering the dark emotional messages. However dark the meaning behind the work may be, as long as it looks sweet it makes the piece feel less heavy and more absorbable to the viewer.