ARTIST STATEMENT

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            As someone who always has pursued interest in interior design, I found myself in high school wanting to concentrate heavily on this type of media.  As it was time to move to college, I found myself focusing more on the energy and color theory within the designs of the homes I was admiring. After my freshmen year at Auburn University, I had the opportunity to work with two local artists. One was a painter and the other was a ceramist. From working with both artists, I resonated more with the painter I was interning for. I fell in love with the fluidity of the process and I knew I wanted to concentrate more on my painting skills. After taking Painting One, Two & Three at Auburn and really started honing in on my style and what I want to say as an artist, I looked to post-WWII abstract expressionists artists such as, Helen Frankenthaler, Grace Hartigan, and Lee Krasner for inspiration. These women have had such an impact on me in the way that they have broken through so many barriers in a male dominated world. Their use of color and use of space is something that I have studied to develop my art style.  I was also fortunate enough to travel to Rome through Auburn’s Art in Rome program last summer where I was able to finely tune what I wanted to focus my work on. Studying these mid- century modern artists and combining my love with interior design, I started thinking about color theory and how it can effect a composition. I used images from interior design magazines and studied juxtaposed color patterns within them to create tension through the viewer’s eyes. As viewers often times study works of art with unusual color pallets, it allows the viewer to really sit there and accept the juxtaposed colors.  I also like to play around with the idea of space within homes. One may feel differently walking into one room rather than another.  Often times emotion takes place when walking into a certain room, whether it be nostalgia or anxiety. I express these sensations through my brush strokes and the transparency of my paint. You can see in some paintings, I express calmness through fluid and light brushstrokes whereas anxiety may be shown through thick, eager and quick brush strokes. With that being said, the viewer should be able to see the feelings I expressed while creating each piece. Emotions are very important to be able to express and it’s a blessing to be able to express them. I make people aware of their feelings and how their surrounds can affect those feelings. I value being able to express mine and for others to express their feelings. It is so easy to be effected by your environment and I want that to come through with my pieces.