Being able to create is something I’ve always been very passionate about. When creating an illustration, I typically like to make art with a sense of emotion and depth, or something that is rich with colors and accessories that makes a viewer want to analyze my work. I want to make a viewer have a sort of psychological effect, or to be able to feel, to think, and reciprocate what I portray. My art explores subjects that are uncomfortable yet familiar, something that ultimately looks like a liminal space. Surrealism has always been my favorite genre of art, and has been one of my biggest inspirations for my pieces. I’m interested in the theme of being detached from reality and being stuck in a dreamlike world. I personally find art to be an escapism, so the theme of unrealness and imagination is a recurring subject. In my work, I usually use hues of blue and purple, two colors associated with depth. I find them to emphasize the feelings and mysteriousness of what I want to portray, and also because these colors make my art visually aesthetic to me. It’s very crucial to me to include things that are symbolic and metaphorical within my work.
When I’m not creating something on the surrealist side, I am very fond of drawing portraits of characters that capture their emotions. The facial expression of a person is something I particularly enjoy making art of. I want to make a viewer think or identify with what the person I draw might be feeling. For me, it’s all about bringing attention to the eyes in my characters. I believe the eyes hold the most emotions, so I try to emphasize that within my work. It is often that I include these types of pieces to feel as if it were a still image from a cinematic scene. Film has always moved me in a way and has inspired me in how I can focus on what’s important.
Art is a growing passion and is something I want to continue to pursue. If I can keep making work that will explore feelings and deep thoughts, then I will want to follow that path. My time at Stockton has supported and opened my creativity to a level I never knew I had. Art is not just a hobby, it is the spark that I will always chase after.
