This year for my Honors capstone project, I was very excited to see there was an opportunity to show artwork for an exhibit because I plan to go into the creative industry after graduation. I am amazed at the possibilities of creating a series of paintings that reflect my interests at that time. I decided to focus on the struggles of women in America for my exhibit. Art is a powerful medium to express stories of certain groups, and through vibrant colors and figures I wanted to capture and shed light on the experiences of people. 

 

A large portion of my drafting for my creative ideas involves my sketchbook, where I sketch down ideas freely on possible pieces I could make in the future. My process involves jotting down ideas regarding issues I would like to focus on and then sketching ideas of how I could express it through symbolistic compositions. I wanted to include a lot of 3D elements within the artworks to create an interactive connection between the viewer and the piece. 

 

One painting that will be featured depicts a portrait of a woman with jewels scattered around her face. I was inspired to create this piece because of modern beauty standards that focus on obstructing rather than amplifying inner beauty. This painting is my interpretation of society’s (the red hand’s) impressional views of beauty and how to distract from a person’s weaker points. However, while I began gluing on each individual jewel, my idea of who the red hands were changed. I realized that I was putting the jewels on the girls face just as they were and I thought about how my obsession with putting on skin care and makeup is my own-doing as well. This painting allows the viewer to experience self exploration by deciding who the red hands represent for them. 

 

The opportunity to create my own exhibit has opened me to the responsibilities of opening exhibitions which will prepare me for my future in art school and beyond. The task of creating ideas and watching as they come to life through canvases is a very satisfying process that I am ecstatic to share the result of my work.