I joked on Instagram that as I was trying to make sense of the forms that have begun to appear in my paintings, I couldn’t help thinking of that episode of Friends where Joey goes on Pyramid and just starts shouting out answers. “Paper! Snow! A ghost!” Bonus points if you can name that episode! (In case you didn’t know, I’m a pretty big Friends nerd.)
But all jokes aside, these paintings actually come from a much deeper place. I made these while thinking about how the US Government was locking up the children of families seeking asylum, and reflecting on the fact that this is not the first time in our history the United States has separated children of color from their parents.
So while I truthfully wasn’t thinking about Friends while I made these works, I was literally haunted by the ghosts of our past, and trying to work those feelings out in paint.
It’s amazing to me how my initial plan to return to painting in a way that was related to my jewelry line has quickly morphed into a way to deal with the emotions of being an American right now. Which I think is exactly what I needed. That way, I can let my jewelry line be what it is (bold pieces to help women make a statement every day) while exploring some deeper themes in my painting.
And because I’m accepting the fact that I’m a complex woman who doesn’t have to be limited to a single form of creative expression, I’ll continue blogging about both here!
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