Artist Biography
As a child, growing up with ADHD, one of the only subjects that I felt confident in was art. Art making was also one of the only activities that could allow me to feel grounded, better identify my emotions, and self-regulate. People told me that I was good at making art and that it was something that I should pursue. My notebooks in school were filled with my drawings and kept me focused on my academic coursework. I accrued collections of my own personal sketchbooks that rendered figures of animals. My art-making spans pencil and ink illustration, oil and watercolor, and ceramics.
The subject matter of this thesis work includes eight oil paintings of human and animal figures. The figures are meant to portray different emotional states I’ve experienced. These paintings explore the extremes of human emotion. Using human figures and animals to get a message across is something that I have found to be very therapeutic, I want viewers to feel a connection with my pieces, reflecting on their own emotional memories.
My paintings have vivid colors, hues of blues and pinks, and yellows that give a whimsical impression. Color synesthesia is the internal association of colors to a noncolored external stimulus. I see letters and numbers as colors in my mind, as well as people, names, and emotions, The colors shown on my pieces are the colors that I associate with the emotions I am trying to represent to the viewer.
Thesis Abstract
This thesis focused on representing emotions through painting animal and human figures. Viewing and creating art offers a multi-sensory and visceral experience that can tap into human emotions, inviting an opportunity to address and communicate one’s feelings non-verbally. In addition, art making and the use of art therapy allow for a safe way for individuals to explore self-regulation, empowerment, and emotional wellness. With oil paint on canvas, eight different figures involving humans and animals, in collaboration with each other and as solo works, were painted to evoke different human emotions which included; sadness, heartbreak, confidence, and anxiety. Art making may help the artist or viewer better understand their own emotions and this thesis hopes to inspire art therapists to consider the impact of painting animals as an emotional metaphor to promote relaxation and a better understanding of human emotions. Future directions will lead to a larger body of work detailing the emotions of animals painted in portraiture to explore human emotions.