The Don't Call me Beautiful series in 2021 was a fresh start of my journey as a figurative painter. How I worked that series and the materials I used is what transitioned my practice from digital, to more traditional canvas or panel. Along with my practice changing, I had to shift my focus as well. It became less about having an idea and trying to translate it into paint, but more about speaking through painting. I do have my own set of themes and concepts that I use to help me build the imagery such as self- image, identity reconstruction; duality, sexuality, anxieties, depression; as well as connecting childhood trauma and adulthood. When choosing colors to work with, I think about duality or creating a contrast within the color. The figures in my paintings are these cool blues but the background is more warm. Painting the subject in a realistic form, but then painting the skin blue takes the realism out of it and allows the composition to turn into a reflection for the viewer.
