This series of five abstract oil pastel drawings addresses different issues I have struggled with throughout my life. Similar colors create a feeling of cohesion between the five pieces even though each piece represents something different. They may be individual problems for me, but they apply to others, also.
Trouble Has Different Faces (top left) is a visual conversation I had with myself about how trouble comes about. Sometimes it is obvious (represented in Black) and can be avoided and other times it comes in the way of actions that seems okay and right or actions you get talked into (green, orange and red) All of these, if allowed to take hold, still manage to get in the way of your goals.
Divisions Aren't Real (top center) is a visual representation of how individuals who have more in common with each other sometimes let little things get between them. What is between tends to get blown out of proportion and made into something more important than it actually is. When people come together with their similarities in mind, nothing can come between their common goals.
Alien Home Planet (top right) is a product of the insults undocumented individuals receive on a daily basis. Undocumented citizens are called “Illegal Aliens” and told to “go back home” by people who aren't familiar with that experience and who generally have views formed by misinformation. The artist decided to draw an "alien home planet" undocumented immigrants would go back to, if it existed. It is a visual conversation about the irrationality behind hateful speech and the ignorance that is conveyed when people are told to go back home even though their home is the United States. (Magnets and stickers available.)
The Illusion of Standing Alone (bottom left) shows a single flower surrounded by leaves. When someone feels alone in the world, they aren't able to bloom to full potential. The color orange is used intentionally because it is obviously the wrong color for these leaves and flower. However, the flower surrounded by big leaves represents that we usually have someone or something to turn to that can provide some support, but that isn't always obvious. When people feel alone, it is often an illusion because there are many people in the world with the same problems. (Magnets and stickers available)
Imperfect Love is Still Love (bottom right) is about being brought up in a “broken” home. The two sides of the heart represent the divorced in the family and the black represents the missing parent. The other colors represent the other family members, friends and allies who build relationships. As the title says, "imperfect" love is still love. Just because a person doesn’t receive the attention of both parents, it does not mean that they are not loved or that this type of love is less important. My parents divorced, like many couples in the U.S., when I was only 12 years old. Though my father was not in my life after that, it was his artistic skills that influenced my desire to develop my own artistic skills.
Currently on display at the College of Education (COE or WRB) in Room 2023. 9am to 5pm, Monday-Friday. Stop by and check it out!
