Much of my art has a rather intuitive base. I have something called synesthesia, which is an association of different senses, mixing them together in ways that most people do not. My form closely ties sounds that I hear with colors, patterns, and textures, resulting in pieces such as “Tessellate”, which explores what I see when I hear the song of the same name by Ellie Goulding. My synesthesia usually helps lead me to a larger theme to work from for a series of pieces, based off the original mental image and resulting piece. In high school, and even now, I listen to music and make the background of a painting using the textures and colors I hear, then see what people or memories I associate with the sound. An example of making the background first is “Leaves”, influenced by some jazz music I heard in the art room. Some of my influences blend together. Music is tied not only to synesthesia, but to memories – a theme that echoes through much of my work. Memories are of high importance to me, and I am interested in how our interpretations of them can change over time. For example, my painting “Trilogy” deals with my memories of writing a novel. Additionally, my “Instant Change” installation piece deals with how I felt about the song “Instant Crush” by Daft Punk before and after I was in a car accident while the song was playing. This project also used my love of repetitive processes. My hands folded one thousand stars out of paper before I laid them out in the parking lot and ran them over with a car in the rain. Repetitive work is very relaxing and therapeutic. One of my main reasons for making art is to relax and enjoy the process of creating, taking a long time to really get a grasp on my emotions about the work and the main idea. Over the long time of folding paper stars, I came to terms with my feelings and fears about my car accident. While drawing “Happy Accident” in many strokes of my ballpoint pen, I could think about my relationship with my boyfriend (now husband!) and how it had evolved over time. I enjoy many other repetitive processes such as crocheting and stippling, both of which allow me to really meditate on an idea, in a way. They help me with my memories, fears, plans for the future, and relationships with the people I represent in my artwork. My philosophy for making art is primarily to help me. I am a perfectionist, even if no one else is going to see my art. It has been a struggle for some time to loosen up while working, but repetitive processes and plenty of time are things that allow for me to relax. I am also someone who worries a lot and tends to dwell on things, but if I am working on art, I can process those feelings in a healthy and comfortable way. After making the “Instant Change” piece about my car accident, my nightmares about the accident began to subside. The process of creating can also help me explore ideas that I had only scratched the surface of when I started the piece. My art mostly deals with things that are familiar and close to me, like important memories and people in my life. Part of my identity is being part of a family, having close friends, and really noticing the different connections to the people around me. My identity as a student also influences this part of my close-knit world. This is very different from artists who tackle social issues and other things going on in the bigger world. I like looking at the art from these artists, but I enjoy making it less. My art is very much about the process, and less about the final product. At this point in my life, I can detect themes in my art and can see how my mind works, what influences me. However, I have no goals. I don’t know what direction my art is going. This is very freeing. Nonetheless, it is good to reflect on what I care about and what forms the foundation of my artwork in order to keep thinking critically. It is also important to take note of what I enjoy doing and what exactly is so enjoyable about creating so I can continue to make art using processes that make me happy and have results that I can look at fondly.
I hope you get as much enjoyment looking at my art as I did making it.