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Hebel

Watercolour, gouache and gold leaf on watercolour paper

12” x 17 ½”

Hebel is a Hebrew word meaning futile or in vain. It comes from the book of Ecclesiastes in the bible where king Solomon talks about how life is meaningless when you live it for yourself and your fleeting desires because in the end, our lives after earth is what really matters. It’s meant to confront you, would you rather die rich and popular amongst those around you or poor and hurt but have favour with God? Do you sacrifice yourself to sin or to God?

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Journey

POSCA pens, pencil crayons, HB pencil on 80lbs drawing paper

14” x 11”

Stop to smell the roses. Seriously. This piece is about the simple pleasures of life and how we should enjoy them in our fleeting time on earth. While our journeys may differ, one simple fact remains, life is sweet. The bright colours and characters try to bring light to that reality. Have you been thankful for your life lately?

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Love

Procreate, monoline tool (digital)

2048x 2742 px digital or 16” x 20” printed

In my first digital piece, I explored the duality of my stance on love at the time. Wanting someone to love but also, knowing that I wasn’t ready for something of the sorts quite yet. The split face representing these two stances. One knowing that I will be able to grow better on my own, and one mourning what could become of me if my heart wasn’t closed off. How do you love?

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Change series

Watercolour on watercolour paper

6” x 9”

This series is from a time in my life where a lot was expected of me but I was unable to cope with it. I was beginning to notice that somewhere, my life wasn’t lining up to my plans I had made for myself, the success I expected. That was when I hit a breaking point of sorts. I expressed myself the only way I knew how; through art. How will you express yourself?

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Change series

Watercolour on watercolour paper

6” x 9”

This series is from a time in my life where a lot was expected of me but I was unable to cope with it. I was beginning to notice that somewhere, my life wasn’t lining up to my plans I had made for myself, the success I expected. That was when I hit a breaking point of sorts. I expressed myself the only way I knew how; through art. How will you express yourself?

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It’s Hard Living Among The Living

Linocut print, black and red block ink on printmaking paper

14 ½” x 18 ½”

This piece is based on my experience with grief. In a world without someone you love, it's hard to live a normal life; you’re still hanging onto the person who is gone, this is why the print reads “It’s hard to live among the living”. The red in this piece represents life. The woman who is bare and lonely cannot seem to reach it no matter how she tries. The black fence of grief is blocking her and the crow stands guard over the butterfly, ready to sabotage her way of escape. Have you processed past griefs?

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Storyteller

Multimedia Collage

18 cm x 22 cm

My Gampy was a man of many experiences. He spent much of his life traveling to new places. As a kid I recall him telling me stories of these places. I recreated the memory by doing an ink drawing of my Gampy and I, and creating a collage with various pictures I had taken of the sky. These various images represent the various places I traveled to in my mind when I heard these stories as well as the many skies my Gampy would have seen throughout his lifetime. (461 characters)

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Refugee No.4590

Linocut print on paper

35 cm x 28 cm

This piece represents the issue of immigration and society’s view of refugees. Oftentimes, refugees are viewed as no more than a number, overlooking the struggles many have to face on a daily basis. The printmaking process lent itself to this overarching theme. The simplified lines and shapes allow for interpretation. By creating the characters in the piece faceless, they resemble playing pieces, which represents how society tends to treat refugees as if they weren’t human. (479 characters)

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Dysphoria

Photography, Canon EOS M6

25 x 15 cm x 15 cm

Many people struggle with emotion, particularly displaying it. In this series, I wanted to capture the difficulty of holding in emotion and how quickly emotion can overtake someone. By using photography I was able to realistically recreate human facial expressions, focusing on the eyes and how accurately they displayed emotion. I used the colour blue to represent sadness and contrast the white background. The progression of images represents ones struggle holding in sadness as it overtakes them. (500 characters)

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Childhood Memories

Gouache on Paper

5 x 16 cm x 16 cm

There are many moments from my childhood that influenced who I am today. In this series, I wanted to recreate some of the more simple moments from my childhood. I wanted them to be simple, and with little detail, as I remember them to be. Using gouache I recreated these small moments, using a variety of different colors to more accurately create these memories as they might have been. These small paintings represent some of the small moments in life that may fade over time, but make up life. (496 characters)

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Peaks

Embroidery

27 cm x 27 cm

After experiencing the beautiful Rocky Mountains I wanted to create an artwork recreating this image in a simple, but colorful way. I used bright yellows and oranges to evoke a sense of happiness while using brown and green to more accurately recreate a mountain scene. This combination of bright and neutral colors represent emotions I personally felt when seeing the Rockies. The excitement/amazement I felt is shown in the bright colors while the sense of awe is shown through the neutral colors. (499 characters)

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Curatorial Rationale

My art-making through this year was driven by many different ideas, but all relating to the central concept of a journey. I wanted to explore many different media to challenge myself and discover my own style. I wanted to take aspects of my personal journey: through life, time, and places, as well as bring to light aspects of other’s journeys through my art.

My first few artworks were inspired by a journey, traveling from place to place. I created artworks based on my travels, experimenting with techniques and styles in efforts to discover my own style.

As I experimented, my focus shifted to viewer reaction. Refugee No. 4590 and Dysphoria are inspired by issues we tend to overlook in our daily lives. Due to school closures, the exhibition became virtual, and I was unable to see the viewers’ reactions to my pieces, however, I hoped that both of these artworks would evoke emotion.

Refugee No. 4590 represents how society treats the issue of immigration. Oftentimes refugees are treated like numbers, the struggles many have to face on a daily basis are overlooked. The printmaking process lent itself to this theme. The simplified lines and shapes allow for the interpretation of the viewer.

My focus on viewer interaction continued into Dysphoria. By using photography I was able to capture human emotion and facial expressions, which supported the message. By organizing the pictures in a grid, the viewer could naturally follow the pictures as if reading a book. My hope when creating this artwork was that people would understand the difficulty of compressing emotions and relate to it in a personal way.

My next multiple artworks were inspired by my childhood experiences and growth. The subject matter reflected my personal journey, while the varying media used contributed to my style exploration. In The Girl and the Moon, I explored an illustrative style, and continued, with a different medium, to Childhood Memories. Storyteller is a multi-media collage of an ink drawing and images I took of the sky. By displaying these three pieces together the viewer could see a progression through time and style.

My final artwork Peaks connected back to my original concept of a journey. I explored the medium of embroidery focusing on colors used, although I had limited materials due to closures.

All of my artworks are related to the central idea of a journey, whether symbolically or literally.

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Growth series

Acrylic on canvas

16” x 20”

This series consists of two pieces that I made very far apart, one at the beginning of my art journey and one at the end. The first one represents where I was in the beginning, broken, depressed and searching for something that could fulfill me. The second, made at the end of my grade 12 year of art, was a continuation of the series of where I was when I finished the course; growing, loving my life and fulfilled through Christ. I placed them on each end, not only for chronological reasons but a symbol of how far I've come since the start of this course. How will you choose to grow?

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Curatorial Rationale: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LBf6ftv0Z9fFcGJvl_q1lX4NpiA-Hl73/view?usp=sharing

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Exhibition Layout

My exhibition thread is the concept of negative human experiences. I portrayed negative human attributes and experiences in my pieces, including anxiety, depression, objectification, loneliness, and disappointment. I chose negative experiences rather than positive because I see negative experiences to be more impactful on people than positive events. I see negative experiences as the driving forces behind people’s decision making processes, as well as the key element in developing their personalities.

I am very experimental, so my pieces all use different mediums. I experimented with different sculpture mediums, combined mediums, and used mediums I had previously forsaken. I am also very conceptual, so each piece has a detailed concept, supported by symbolism.

My intent is for observers of my exhibition to see the world as I do: as it is, not as I want it to be. I see the world without hope, which is something that I have portrayed in my exhibition topic and my pieces. I chose negative experiences that are experienced on a large scale so that viewers could relate to my pieces and recognize the frequency of their occurrences. This allows the viewers to see the world from my perspective, as they will realize that negativity is widespread and all around us.

The idea that negativity is all around us influenced my exhibition curation. I am unable to hold a physical exhibition due to school closures, however had I been able to hold a physical exhibition, I would have displayed my pieces in a hexagonal, enclosed space with one exit/entrance point. The shape of the room and the sole entrance/exit would contribute to the idea that negativity is all around us, while also creating a feeling of discomfort in the viewer. Disappointment, Depression, and Objectification would have been displayed on the walls, with the Loneliness series on a table along the wall to the right of the entrance. Since Disappointment and Loneliness are similar in subject, colour scheme, and medium, I would want one to begin the exhibition and one to end it, as the repetition would create movement and tie the pieces together. In the center of the room would be Anxiety on a pedestal. The centered box would show that all my work stems from anxiety. In a physical exhibition, viewers would interact with this piece by placing it on their heads, allowing them to also experience the art inside.

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Loneliness (series)
2020
Mixed media

This series represents loneliness through symbolism. It tells the story of a girl whose loneliness is fueled by herself, and how she is struggling to break free of her habits.

My intent is for the viewer to be able to connect these pieces through the use of line, contrast, style, and subject. I also want the viewers to be able to see the progression of the story through each piece. I chose the two mediums in this series as they are two of my favourite mediums and I enjoy experimenting with them.

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DON’T ASK FOR ME
2020
Mixed media
16” x 20"

DON’T ASK FOR ME functions as a social commentary piece. This painting is about the objectification of women in the media. The text serves many purposes; it creates dark vs. light contrast, creates emphasis, and contributes to the concept and message. My intention is for people to see this piece, question its meaning, and feel empowered to change how women are portrayed in the media. I included collage as I enjoy this medium and it adds texture to the otherwise blank background.

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Calendar Tree
2019-2020
Mixed media
7’ 4’ x 4’

Calendar Tree represents depression and the time it consumes in a person’s life. This is shown through symbolism. My intention is to express myself while still leaving the viewer unaware, so they can interpret the meaning their own way. The use of calendar pages as a quilt represents the progression of time by linking the months, while also serving as a canvas for the tree, which symbolizes depression. This links time and depression, contributing to the meaning; depression is time consuming.

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Anxiety Attack
2019
Mixed media
12 ¼” x  15” x 12 ¼”

This piece is meant to show the viewer what it’s like to experience anxiety attacks. The outside of the box represents the body while the inside of the box represents the panicking mind. This piece requires audience interaction. The box is placed on the head to experience what it’s like inside the mind, while onlookers see the box’s exterior and only see the body; unaware of the panicking mind. This symbolizes how people can hide these attacks and are the only ones who understand their ordeals.

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Disappointment
2020
Mixed media
9” x 16” x 2”

This piece was influenced by the conceptual art movement. Its minimalistic style contrasts its detailed concept, which explains how broken promises lead to disappointment and how we hide our feelings and keep others in the dark. The pinkies symbolize broken pinky promises.

Its odd subject matter and striking contrast are meant to intrigue people. My intention is for the viewer to question and decipher this piece’s meaning and apply it to their own experiences so they may relate to the piece.

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Curatorial Rational

My exhibition has been driven by the desire to create a surreal juxtaposition in my work. I’ve tried to incorporate objects or ideas that seem out of place together in order to get a particular message or meaning across by the interaction of those two things. I was heavily inspired by Salvador Dali, and incorporated many of his techniques like adding realistic visuals together to create something abstract and surreal. Throughout most of my works I have used the digital medium because it has helped me create the contrast that I wanted to display. The medium allowed me to make my art photorealistic by giving me the power to blend pictures, colours, and shapes together  to make visuals not seen in real life. This creates an impossibility that draws the viewer’s attention because they know what they’re seeing shouldn’t be. My hope is the viewer will wonder about them, thinking about the meaning of seeing those two contrasting subjects together. One of the ways I found to accomplish this was to make the two subjects I was trying to contrast fit with the background and other accompanying images. This gives the illusion of the art piece looking like a solid photo, rather than a collage of photos. In reality that’s what most of my artworks are, collages that I have attempted to blend together so well that they look like snapshots of a moment. To fit the theme of the exhibition I have also arranged my pieces in a specific way. Three of my pieces are partially or fully monochromatic (unum infinitum, Confrontation, and #Victorian) and they will be grouped to one side with unum infinitum at the center of the exhibition. The other three pieces which utilize colour are on the opposite side of unum infinitum. This would emphasize the overarching theme of contrast in each of my works.

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Title: #Victorian

Medium: Sculpture

Size: 5 inches wide, 10 inches long, 5 inches tall

I wanted to create something that would embody the excessive consumer world that we live in today as well as the world of luxury from past times. So I went about designing a hat that would be composed of a contemporary ball cap with a victorian fascinator on it. Something ironic that happened as I made the hat, was the coronavirus. In a way it caused the “death” of the culture I was critiquing and thus made the hat black a sort of representation of this world's death.

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Title: Wilting Window

Medium: Digital

Size: “7x10”

This artwork is meant to represent Alzheimer's and each section of the clock represents one of the seven stages of Alzheimer’s. The plastic flower is symbolic of a gift from my late Aunt, who had suffered from Alzheimer’s, it was the last gift she gave me before she forgot me, due to the disease’s progress. Unfortunately, the flower accidentally broke and my last connection to her was lost, which is what the flower smashing the clock portrays.

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Title: Expansion

Medium: Digital, photography

Size: “18x24” landscape

I created an artwork that showcased the destruction of nature. Urban sprawl seems to creep and grow like a fungus, and its expansion isn’t very noticeable. My artwork sought to portray the sprawl in an abrupt way, showing the city border and the new additions being plopped onto what was there before. I felt the digital medium was the best way to portray this as it would provide the most realistic and surreal visuals.

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Title: A World Within or Without

Medium: Digital, photography

Size: “20x24” landscape

I created a surealist digital photo inspired by the work of Erik Johanson who is known for his thought provoking and surreal works.I wanted to make the viewers ask themselves whether the image in the animal’s eye was a reflection of the world around it or something that came from within. I wanted people to consider what could truly be going on behind the eyes of the creatures that we share this world with.

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Title: Confrontation

Medium: Digital, photography

Size: “11x14” landscape each

This piece is a digital photo composed of two pictures of one person meant to represent two aspects of themselves in a surrealist landscape. The world around them is a ghostly void to draw attention and contrast to the two doubles. The title refers to the battle of wills going on, as well as the pull and resistance between the twin subjects presented. The series develops the balance of power between the two doppelgangers, by shifting and eventually tipping to favor one side.

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Title: unum infinitum

Medium: Digital

Size: “24x36” landscape

I created this work with the intention of representing two colliding worlds with the girls gazing at each other through the puddle. One world is a monochromatic world where everyone is the same person and the other is a colourful world where there is only one person looking back through the puddles. I want the viewers to wonder about these two worlds and what the subjects shown are thinking about what they see in the puddle.

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Posca Markers on black canvas and collage

Each 8cm x 10cm

The “Transformation” was inspired by Robert Delaunay and his fixation of color as a tool with its own powers of expression. I wanted to create art demonstrating the transition of drug addiction from living (before 🤬), and being alive (the transformation of the 🤬 taking over). Like Delaunay, I used different shapes and colors to create a different emotion for every piece and portrayed my concept by using past icons that people look up to.

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Posca Marker on black canvas
30.4cm x 60.9cm

Inspired by Keith Haring, I wanted to create a piece using his playful POP ART style contrasting with the deeper issue of Immigration. By appropriating many of his characters, I was able to show a unique story with every figure. I used the posca markers to make the piece look innocent and playful, while contrast with the hidden topic which is common in Keith Haring’s work.

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Posca markers and white pen on black drawing paper

Each 22.9cm x 30.5cm

The “Women Series” was inspired by Yayoi Kusama’s abstract art and the concept of using the body as a canvas. I wanted to strip down the idea of women and create art that revolves around the beauty of a woman’s body, as our body parts are the basis of life, yet often women are uneasy as we are commonly seen as 🤬 objects.  Like Kusama, I used different levels of abstraction to convey this concept.

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The exploration of my exhibition was “The Uncomfortable Importants”. This concept revolved around creating art that was uncomfortable for both the viewer and myself. My goal was to create art that highlighted global issues that are often stigmatized and not commonly discussed as people are usually scared they are going to “say the wrong thing”. I wanted to create impactful art that would spark conversations among viewers on important global issues.

The prominent elements and principles used in my artwork are the use of lines, colors, emphasis, unity, and balance. The marriage of these formal qualities has been heavily influenced by the work of Banksy, Kieth Haring and Yayoi Kusama. Banksy and Haring’s use of bold colors, intricate stenciling/caricatures, and impactful topics was originally my main influence for my exhibition. However, after discovering Kusama’s unique use of color, emphasis, unity, and balance I have decided to merge these styles and implement it into my own creations to generate a very diverse artistic approach.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are having a virtual exhibition. This, however, will not detour my placement for my exhibition. My pieces would be set up in a sporadic manner resembling posters in a teenager’s room. As for my series, “Transformation” and “Women Series” I would not keep the pieces together as a series. Instead, I would separate the pieces throughout the other artworks in the exhibition and intertwine them with my single artworks. This could be considered a Curatorial risk, but I believe they will be coherent throughout and compliment each other nicely with their bright colors and pop art style. This decision would create a dynamic and eye-catching display. Since my artwork called “Innocence” inspired by Banksy is the biggest, I will off-center the piece to not overshadow my smaller works. This will help the viewer’s eyes flow throughout the exhibition and not focus on the biggest artwork but rather focus on them all.

Overall, the strongest aspect of my work is the story behind each piece. The challenges encountered along the way was to ensure that each piece told its own story while still maintaining stylistic coherence. Alone they are beautiful pieces but displayed together, they each tell a unique impactful story that the viewer may be able to relate to.

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Spray paint on bristol board paper

66cm x 50

The “Innocence” piece was inspired by Banksy’s philanthropist street art and a UNICEF advertisement that brought awareness to the global issue of child marriage. I wanted to use Banksy’s stencil method to create a dramatic image to emphasize the dominance one would have over a child in this situation. Like Banksy, I used different stencils to add value, emphasis, and depth.

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Watercolor, watercolor paper, hot glue, pins, and styrofoam ball

15cm x 15cm x 15cm

This piece was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic in order to pay tribute to all the essential workers. By creating a beautiful sculpture of the virus-cell, I implemented cut-outs of essential workers into the sculpture as though they are fighting it off. Circling back to Yayoi Kusama’s obsession with dots, I used this concept to create the sculpture’s particles.

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Pink Flag (Video)  which would have been projected on the large canvas screen on the right

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Pink Flag (Video)  which would have been projected on the large canvas screen on the right

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hMZNNF6PpEC6UOL0LZt3MNaIsRmmzRcD/view?usp=sharing

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Lazy Sunday

20’’ x 60’’
Acrylic on canvas

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Minuet

30’’ x 24‘’
Acrylic on canvas

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From the Stars

11’’ x 16’’
Digital

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Off-Course

16’’ x 20’’
Oil pastel on paper

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5:30PM

11’’ x 14’’
Digital

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Vessel

60’’ x 90’’
Mixed media (Digital, photography)

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Suppress

Oil on Paper

15x20 cm each

In this series, I wanted to contrast the expressionlessness of people in their daily lives with the emotion they are feeling. This series is also meant to comment on how some emotions are okay socially to be visually expressed while others are expected to be suppressed.

I was inspired by Darren Butcher to try new techniques while painting.  These techniques helped greatly with the level of realism I could attain in my portraits.

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Split

Oil on Canvas Board

12x16”  20x24”  12x16”

In this series, I pulled apart the emotionlessness and pure emotion that creates a balanced self.  On the left, is me emotionless.  I look older, duller.  On the right, is me when I was younger, surrounded by bright colours.  Together, I feel, these create who I am.  In social situations, I am reserved, serious.  But when alone or with family I am filled with a childlike joyousness and curiosity.  In the center is resistance because, in reality, it is not such a cut and dry split.

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Unobstructed

Watercolour and Ink on Canvas
Acrylic on Canvas

20x20” each

With these pieces, I was exploring the effects and impact of emotion on how I feel drawn to make art.  Often I find it difficult to make art when I am feeling different types of intense emotion.  For example, if I am frustrated I find it difficult to paint anything without getting upset.  Instead of suppressing emotions or avoiding art until they pass, for these pieces, I used emotions to my advantage.  I used the mediums, colours, and techniques I was drawn to while in certain moods.

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Across the Universe

Oil on Canvas Board

24x30”

When I created this painting my goal was to create emotion in the audience.  This was something I hadn't attempted before but wanted desperately to accomplish.  While the emotion felt by each when viewing this piece will be different, I tried to create serene, wistfulness.  Her closed eyes and the circling water create a certain calmness.  I was inspired by Iris Scott to try fingerpainting and oil paint, both things that I hadn't tried before.  Finger painting created a great texture for water.

https://www.irisscottfineart.com/paintings

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Zen

Wood, Sand, and Stone, Digital Photography

21x21x4”

In this artwork, I explored a medium that is completely temporary; a medium where the slightest bump or blow of air changes the outcome.  With inspiration from Japanese Zen gardens, I aimed to create movement.  While drawing in the sand a calming feeling came over me and for this reason, I am leaving the box out for the audience to participate and experience.  I want this piece to be interactive in hopes of creating emotion in the participant.

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Expulsion

Oil on Canvas

20x16”

Emotions are the most temporary thing I know. They come and go, they may last only minutes, or they may last hours, but they never stay the same. In this work, I wanted to explore what it would be like if I could see an intense sadness the way that I feel it, including the textures it takes on, the space it takes up, and where it exudes from the body and seems to sit heaviest.  I was influenced by Melissa McCracken’s synesthetic art which captures lighter emotions through colour and texture.

https://www.melissasmccracken.com/2018-1

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Exhibition

The thread I explored in my exhibition is emotion. Initially, I was exploring impermanence but kept finding myself drawn back to ideas such as emotion, imagination, and creativity. From there, I found my most impactful pieces seemed to revolve around emotion. An important goal I aimed to achieve early in the creation of my exhibition was causing emotional responses in the audience. As I continued creating my exhibition, this goal lessened. However, it resurfaced again when creating later pieces. This resurgence solidified emotion as the concept I was most invested in exploring. Throughout the creation of my exhibition, I explored a variety of different mediums; oil, acrylic, watercolour, sand, and I feel as though that suits my thread better than if I had only used one or two. The desire to try a multitude of mediums, as well as my choice in media is something affected greatly by the mood I was in when I began creating a piece.

Due to the closure of my school, I cannot say what my exhibition would have looked like when displayed. However, in my virtual, ideal exhibition, I arranged my pieces in a progression from one concept to the next. The three major concepts I explored are repressed emotion, expressing emotion, and creating emotion. I arranged these ideas from left to right, respectively, because we read from left to right, and I want the viewers to experience my exhibition that way. I want the viewer to enter my exhibition and see the more mentally stimulating pieces. Then, as they progress through, they will think less about the pieces and become more emotionally engaged instead. My first three artworks are more about the thought of emotion and how it affects us. In the second three, I intended to instill emotion. I specifically arranged the last three artworks to have the most impact on the viewer.  Expulsion primes the viewer with the idea of how they experience emotion. Then they engage in Zen, an interactive sandbox that is very calming. Last but not least is Across the Universe. Across the Universe was the piece in which I best accomplished the goal of instilling emotion in those who look at it. By prefacing it with the other two pieces, it will hopefully emphasize the emotion felt while looking at it.

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Mixed media (acrylic and coloured pencil)
32 x 21 inches
Through this piece, I attempted to explore feelings of fear. I chose to express fear by creating a foreboding composition, categorized through the subject and a looming presence. In evoking this apprehension, an atmosphere that revolves around the subject was created, through the interaction of organic shape and the use of complementary colors to emphasize each part. I wanted to express fear in an undefined manner, fear is not simply the looming monster but also an eerie landscape.

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Mixed media (watercolor and colored pencil)
11 x 15 inches
The concept of this piece is to show bodies interacting with their environment. The viewing entails the collection of different people, in different moments joined through common scenery as a mode of storytelling like a mosaic. The people are also removed from their environment through the use of opposing temperatures, cool vs warm color schemes. The abstracted quality of the piece allows for a sense of fantasy through its heightened vibrancy and flatness.

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Mixed media (marker and pencil on paper)
12 x 8 inches
In exploring how storytelling can be accomplished visually I chose to create a multifaceted scene depicting a school play. In terms of process, fine detail was important in the creation of this piece, I chose to use base colours and then layer detail overtop. It is through this choice in media and process that areas of drama were able to interact. This created a highly detailed overall piece instilling a feeling of many little moments within a larger story.

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Pencil crayon on paper
10 x 8 inches
In keeping with my focus on storytelling, this series was created sequentially. Pieces were created by pulling direct inspiration from the previously created artwork. Through this process, a gradual progression was used in order to achieve the overall message. Concepts like travel, and how the body interacts with its environment emerged through this exploration. Following a strict color scheme and maintaining a common style allowed me to create coherency between the pieces.

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Mixed media (acrylic, chalk pastel, pencil crayon)
23.5 x 18.5 inches
For this piece I chose to use juxtaposition in order to create a more engaging portrait. Calming aspects of the portrait such as the content expression, relaxed body position, and cheerful color schemes are contrasted by the hazardous interactions of texture and pattern. As well as through the distorted body proportions, specifically the single-wide eye. The process of creating texture and unity through balancing and combining colours throughout the composition was explored in this portrait.

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Mixed media (clay, acrylic paint, collage)
In attempting to evoke a sense of solitude, I chose to manipulate space three-dimensionally. This piece shows an abstracted version of how bodies interact with their surrounding landscapes. Through line and shape, I aimed to communicate an interactive movement that unifies the piece. However, in contrasting the color of the environment with the value of the bodies I was aimed to influence a visual separation to inform a feeling of isolation.

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Lino print
12 x 8 inches
In this piece, I aimed to create an eerie landscape. This was achieved through morbid subject matter seen in alerting the face to be skeletal and void of expression. I used imagery common to southern gothic literature, like that of the paneled house and the Virgin Mary to influence the atmosphere. In composition, organic shapes are used to create a high concentration of darkness. Visually, areas of light only emerge from the dark to create detail, producing a sense of foreboding desolation.

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Mixed media (video, multimedia paint on canvas drop cloth)
67.5 x 67.5 inches
I wanted to explore the concept of memory and how subjectivity influences its perception. The video was created to show this concept, highlighting a focus on color, speed, reverse, and repetition. The storyline is not linear, instead, I chose to focus on common subject matter seen in my own surroundings. The use of mountain landscape depicted on canvas shows the tangibility of memory over time. The video will be projected onto the white area of the canvas and played on a continuous loop.

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Venus
Mixed media (acrylic and graphite on board)
40 x 29.9 inches
Inspired by Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus” depicting the ancient Greek myth of the birth of the goddess of love. I chose to alter the inspired composition with a focused perspective on the body. Conceptually,  I wanted to explore naturalism vs realism, how a body can depict natural human qualities without technical realism. This was accomplished by distorting the female figure to accentuate common irregularities. It was also accomplished through abstracting the body into basic line and shape.

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Exhibition layout
My theme is light and how light is changed and reflected with different mediums. I came about this idea because of my Comparative Study. I also like how water reflects light and how light is changed because of different environments, and different objects interrupting the flow of light. Therefore I searched for artists who used light in different ways with mediums that are transparent, reflective and which change natural and synthetic light in some way. I have explored many types of effects light has, and how a variety of mediums have different effects on light. I have explored different glass shapes and cuts, how water affects light, how different states change light like gasses, liquids, and solids. I explored different mediums to see how light could affect them like a sculpture made of wire, plaster and mosaics. I like to go to places and see the different landscapes and cityscapes, and when I am anywhere I notice the many objects and water changes in different lighting. I always make sure to see the light, how it glistens off the water and through different mediums, like underwater and in objects, for example, windows and glass, the light makes magnificent patterns of light and colors. I enjoy art that is of this topic because I find it calming.

For my exhibition, I have chosen subjects that light impacts in some way. One would notice in the exhibition, my pieces are mostly paintings with oils and acrylics but there are other artworks with different mediums like sculptures and mosaics. I have chosen to mostly make my artworks in a realistic style because I wanted to capture the light change perfectly. I use paint often because it is a medium that I want to improve on, paint is one of the mediums I am the most knowledgeable on and that is one of my favorites. Paint is also one of the mediums that when I use it, I find it looks the most complete and I like to paint because I always find areas that I think can improve and learn new techniques and styles. I also try new mediums because I want to showcase light in as many different mediums as I can. When I choose the mediums that I use I think of how it will affect the subject of the artworks. I choose oils when I want to paint and have it look soft like for clouds. I paint with acrylics when I want saturated colors and when I need to paint layers like for landscapes and still-life's. When I choose my artworks for my exhibition I choose the pieces that I think turned out the way I planned the most.

What influences my work is almost everything I see outside. What influences me is nature and cityscapes and plants and water and animals and objects that interact with the atmosphere, with the sun and the sky and how they change colors and shine and create a pattern with the shade they make. What ties my work together is the theme of light. What I want my viewers to see in my artworks are calmness, interest and adventure. I want my artworks to take the viewer's places, metaphorically, to go somewhere in the world where there's nothing to worry about. I want the audience to be reminded somehow by my piece, for example where it is, what it is or compare it to something positive they have experienced before like a good memory.

In this time of quarantine, we needed to create a virtual exhibition. What I did was I use a default Microsoft app called paint and I created a simple background that looked like a wall and the corner of a room and I added pictures of my artworks and cropped them to the edge of the canvas and resized them by comparing the sizes of each and changing their size as necessary. The way I wanted to design my exhibition is I wanted it to be in an order that tells a sort of story and I wanted to make sure they don't clash when their beside each other.

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Oblivious
Acrylic on canvas

16in x 18in

My intention was to capture the hidden imperfections of the beauty community. Models are made to look perfect and flawless, I wanted to portray all the flaws the industry finds “bad”: blotchy skin, uneven tones, misshapen lips, smudged makeup.The cheek contours were supposed to look gauntly thin, the lips slightly smudged, and the eyebrow to unkept and natural.

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Supporting Image

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Silenced Wanaharusi
Air dying clay & Acrylic

Size: N/A
The intent of this piece was to capture the abuse and grooming of young girls in African Culture. The lightening of skin and shrinking of head is meant to portray the slow descent into the acceptable form to the male gaze. The string is meant to symbolize natural hair, and the empty colourless cheek circles are symbolic of losing innocence.

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BadDreams
Acrylic on Glass

Size - Varying
This was a more playful whimsical piece. I put a spin on the Greek mythological figure Hades, and gender swapped them. It started out as a homework sketch and evolved to represent breaking free from set societal roles,exploring, and becoming a better you. I made the piece versatile , it can be viewed against a window, or against a table for two different takes on the same image.

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Released Energy
Acrylic &  string on canvas

18in x 20in

This piece highlights the Greek Mythological creature Cerberus. He was known as the protector/guardian of the underworld, I used that concept to portray a figure as a protector of Women. I wanted her to look disheveled and rough, to show the fight for rights, I also wanted her hair to look slightly messy and big, to have a subtle hint to Medusa.

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Iridescent
Acrylic & photography

16in x 18in

This piece was centered around heart break, and teenage culture. The third eye is symbolic of  seeing more clearly. The heart in the hands is representing becoming your own person, wearing your heart on your sleeve. If we had our actual exhibition, I would have projected the photograph layered over the painting so they don't line up completely, to show the imperfections of humanity.

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Demeter & Persephone
Acrylic & Oil paint on canvas

18in x 20in

Based on Greek Mythology and the story of Persephone and Hades. I wanted to represent the impact abusive relationships have on family ties. I wanted to show the re-growth in the bond between a mother and daughter. The faces also have an influence of African masks to tie back to my family roots and signify the strengthening of relationships.

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Untitled Woman
Acrylic & Photography

20in x 24in

The piece consists of a painted background inspired by Modigliani, and myself as a model posed in a way lacking emotion. The piece as one was supposed to evoke a feeling of nervousness, and uncertainty. I wanted to deceive the viewer into believing this was an acrylic painting, when actually it was a mixed media photography piece.

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A Thousand innocents
Oil Pastel on wooden Board

20in x 24in

This piece follows the story of  Medusa,  where  she  was  punished  for  defiling  Athena's  temple. I interpreted the "ugliness"  as  a  gift  from  Athena,  as  a way  to  make  sure  no  man  would  do  those things  to  her  ever  again. Medusa is used as a  symbol  of  women's  rights  and  represents strength.

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Falling and Floating, above and around

CDs and fishing wire hung from wood

3’ x 3’ x 7’
I wanted my piece to be like you are surrounded by floating objects that interact with light and I wanted this piece to be interactive so the viewer would be surrounded and looking up and around at many little reflecting objects. I used CDs because they were sitting and probably going to go to the trash so I didn't want them to go to waste. I wanted to recycle them by repurposing them.

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Infinite refraction

Oil on canvas

10” x 13.5”
This artwork was to capture the pattern and color created by light and glass and how the glass stood out against the dark red table and to see how the red of the table was distributed throughout the water glass with the help of light. I also wanted to look closer into how the water in the glass affected the reflection of the light. I also wanted to change the look of the glass to make it less realistic than the real thing to emphasize the color the glass and the light creates.

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Sunset Wave

Mosaics, glue and grout on wood

12” x 12”
In this artwork, I wanted to capture the different light and different colors. My inspiration in this artwork was to capture the different colors through the water in motion with the colored light from the sunset. I chose to use mosaics because it is a medium that reflects light and I used different opacity of mosaics to capture the different effects of light on transparent and opaque glass.

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Chi Cheemaun Sunset

Acrylic on canvas

16"x20"
I wanted to capture the sunset off of a boat and its shine off of the water and the white crisp circle of the sun and how the colors fade into darkness and the effect it has on the water. The almost pitch black and the yellow shine on the peak of the waves and the dark shadow the bright sun makes on the deck of the boat's bows. And the shine it has on the railing. I decided to paint this in acrylics because I thought I could get less detail and more of a slightly abstract dry brushed paint look and I could also get the sun's outline without smoothing it out too much.

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Ascending

Acrylic on canvas

30” x 48”
I wanted to paint what it looks like underwater. How the light makes beautiful color as it passes through water and how the little bubbles look like little crystals in the water. I wanted to paint this also because of the movement of the water seen underwater and the pattern it makes and how the feeling of being underwater when your scuba diving is so calming. I painted this piece in acrylics because it was a bigger piece and easier to move and manage than if I painted it in oil because acrylics dry faster.

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Lake Huron's Rocky shore

Acrylic on canvas

18” x 24”
I wanted to capture how light changes when it is misty and in a lake rather than the ocean. To see the difference in color and difference between a cloudy and a sunshiny day. I wanted to get the green in the water because of the clarity of the water and the sun's effect in this atmosphere and on the water and the wet rocks and the wet plants. I did this in acrylics because I knew how and knew I could get the detail with it and since I was moving it around often and it needed to dry fairly quickly acrylics were what would have worked best.

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Stanley Park Harbor

Acrylic on canvas

16” x 20”
I wanted to emphasize the contrast between the cityscape and nature because they are like they’re two completely different places divided by the sun and water. I chose this scene to paint to show how the sun's light reflects differently off the different things like for example the trees, walkway, city and boats. The water and the sky are the connection between the two sides but also the division. The sun and its refractions off the water give an imaginary line of division between nature and man-made.

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Cloud series
Oil on canvas
Size: 9” x 12”
My thoughts creating this piece was that I wanted to capture the different light in clouds. For this artwork, I wanted to capture how light changes within one cloud. How there is different light in one cloud because of the sun and the thickness of the clouds. I wanted to make my clouds a series because I wanted to show the different light in the cloud on different canvases, so you can see the different light more clearly. And for this artwork, I used oil paint because I wanted it to be smooth and transition nicely between the light and shadow and with the oil the clouds look more fluffy and cloud-like.

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Summer Harvest

Acrylics on canvas

12” x 16”
This artwork was to capture the cool colors and how minimal light is reflected throughout a smooth glass surface. I also wanted to explore how light has an effect on cooler colors and how you see different colors than they are when they translate to paintings. I wanted to paint light emerging from the trees and to compare light travelling through different substances. I chose to paint with acrylics because I could layer the paint and get the more sketchy unfinished look also I chose to use acrylic to contrast from my glass painting.