Teacher: Adrienne Lessard
Grade: Senior
Materials: Painting
Dimensions: 8 in  ×  10 in
Artist Statement: Each piece not only reflects my artistic creativity but is a reflection of who I am as a person and the experiences that shaped my life today. My inspiration was my gender and racial identity and mental health growing up. Art has always helped express my inner self as I struggle with verbal communication. It helps me express thoughts and feelings and deeper emotions onto a blank canvas that cannot judge me but listen and take everything without any judgment and turn negative feelings into something beautiful, which is why I enjoy to paint. Not only is paint pretty and smooth, but oddly enough I enjoy the texture it has on rough canvas as it makes it seem raw like you’re painting over skin, making everything I pour out feel more real. As well as not showcase a pretty aesthetic but genuine human emotions and mental health awareness.

Description: Social anxiety and the struggles of making eye contact or facing other people often leads to eye strain due to stress and constant eye movement. Focusing on one thing makes it feel better, but the constant overthinking of looking strange doesn’t.

en_USEnglish