Watermelon Sugar Painting

My work is an expression of inner desires to be seen as someone else, cooler, stronger, sexier, braver, smarter - "someone better". In our society, we are always trying to reach perfection. No matter how hard we try, we always feel a sense of lacking within ourselves. If you do not meet the standards of beauty, strength, or brains as decided by others, you feel less than. We compare ourselves to others daily, thinking "they are prettier than me", "they are braver than me". By transforming into different characters, I am able to step outside of myself and view who I am from different perspectives. The act of painting allows me to trace my features, building up my face stroke by stroke. Building myself up, both figuratively and literally. My compositions are set up as film stills or magazine advertisements in which my personas play the starring roles - separating versions of myself and honing in on one main aspect, then amplifying it into an individual. My paintings use lighting tactics found in action, sci-fi, and horror movies. Tapping into color psychology through Intensely saturated lighting and color pairings allows me to direct emotions within a person and their understanding of each scene I portray.