2020 – 2022

“MUSIC AND LYRICS”

Project statement:

The first three paintings in this series, all inspired by songs from “Encanto” are explorations of the prominent colors featured in musical scenes of this movie. By taking a deep dive into these scenes, I am able to explore new colors and compositions that directly nod back to some of my favorite moments.

Finally, I am choosing to title the artwork with three words from the lyrics of each song. While the final titles may not make sense to the anyone not in the know, the Disney musical fan will catch this connection and enjoy listening to the lyrics in their head!

Project Statement:

While my body of work has always focused on the ideas of imaginary worlds from my childhood paired with my passion for knitting, my current body of work is taking these ideas and expanding them to focus more on an abstract exploration of color, light, and space.

What once began as a direct nod to the scenes from animated movies has since evolved into a more abstract representation, with the exploration of color, light and space taking priority.  Color is the most important part of my artistic process, and this new series of works have all begun with a specific palette in mind, allowing the colors to play together on the canvas. With each new painting I make, I am picking unique pairings of colors that can either work together in harmony or fight against each other for dominance.  Adding to this allusion is the use of light.  I have been using lighted forms since 2017 and while that concept has not changed, the forms themselves have, each becoming a more three-dimensional object that truly effects the environment it is in. The light from the within these knitted forms reflects off the other things within the painting, allowing the viewers’ eyes to travel across the canvas. Finally, the idea of space plays a huge part in my recent works, as I have begun to really push and pull the forms within the ‘waterscape’ they exist in.  By using transparent layers of paint, I can play with the space and how I want things to come forward or fall back. The glowing forms tend to dominate the paintings, while the other forms tend to fall back and some even disappear. It is through the focus of color, light, and space that I am able create an environment that transports the viewer to a world only imagined within the subconscious.