artist statement 
I’ve been called an “old soul” my entire life. I find myself spending a lot of time in thought and fascination with ideas, concepts, culture, etc of the past (specifically the time periods of the 1950’s to the early 80’s). I’m mainly drawn to the idea of individuality, challenging the status quo, and being fiercely and unapologetically original that seems to surround the culture and narrative of these eras. My artwork is representative of that and where my inspiration comes from. Currently my pieces are revolving around the time period of the late 60’s and early 70’s. This body of work is meant to paint the narrative of female power and the expression of female sexuality that became more evident in the 70’s. While in no way was the 70’s perfect, women were becoming more courageous, ambitious, and free in their attitudes, actions, and fashion. In this work, I want to capture the pure love of self, passion, and tenacity of these women as they challenged the boundaries and questioned the rules set by others.

The sources of inspiration for these paintings have come from personal photos and stories, magazine articles, popular culture, and art from that time period and now. As far as composition, my work revolves around the idea of using a simple subject, or just a piece of a larger subject, and then displaying it on a large canvas. This allows for complexity in the finer details, color palette, and brush techniques. The color palette of these paintings are in neutrals and various shades of reds and pinks. Red has always been a symbol for power, but it also represents femininity, passion, ferocity, etc. The color palette and scale of these paintings is essential to the narrative of these images and how the viewers will encounter them. 

While these images are reminiscent of previous styles, trends, and time periods, these paintings are meant to be seen and function in the 21st century. The idea of free and celebrated expression of female power and sexuality is not an idea that is contained to one specific moment in history, but rather an evolving way of life.

bio
I was born on July 28, 1998 in St Louis, Missouri where I currently live and attend college. I am an oil painter mostly, but I also find inspiration in printmaking, photography, and, just recently, digital work. Most of my inspiration comes from pop art from vintage eras. Mostly 60’s and 70’s popular culture, advertisement, fashion, decor, etc is what grabs my attention and leads to my most personal work that I create. For me, my work is an outlet of personal obsessions, daydreams, and all the other things that drive and inspire me everyday. I chose to create most of these subject matters in large scale oil paintings. With a simple composition, I explore a variety of brush work, textures, and color palettes. I have recently found that digital design work is a quick and accessible way to get my ideas down that can then be later turned into my larger paintings. I have received most of my artistic training at the University of Missouri St Louis. There I am studying to earn my Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis in painting. There I was awarded the Hilda and Roy Bergman Scholarship of Art for the four watercolor paintings I submitted for judging in 2019. I have had the privilege of working under many talented artists while at UMSL.

contact information
alwportfolio.com
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