Uplifted Collection
This collection of works emerged through a time of overcoming and finding myself calm and at peace in the midst of the pandemic and some life changing events. I wasn’t sure how to handle the stressors and found myself wanting to creating a series of work to remind one to be present, calm, and embrace growth. What really drove this collection was the color palette and composition. Each piece has incorporated soft, light, and calming pastel tones to give a calming presence to them. I firmly believe that no matter the situations we find ourselves in we must be willing to be flexible and adapt. When things are stressful it is particularly important to deliberately build these habits into our lives. you will find The compositions remain playful and free-flowing.
“DON’T STOP CHANGING” - 36”x36”
“Don’t Stop Changing” was inspired through the feelings of being calm and at peace with growth. Despite the year of relentless letdowns, divide, plans and dreams diminished, and stress from the media darkening each and every day: change was always evident and with change comes growth.
I firmly believe that change is imperative because you have the opportunity to embrace new experiences. When you look back on your life, all of the really amazing things are because of a new experience you had. No matter how scary change may be, one must release tendencies to take control and embrace whatever comes next: making you more flexible and adaptable.
“GO AT YOUR OWN PACE” - 24”x48”
“Go At Your Own Pace” is centered around coming to terms that I am where I need to be. I learned that it’s the key to productivity, confidence, and success in everything we do. Knowing your pace of work, knowing how you like to operate and not letting other people’s way of life interfere with yours — is key.
This piece is a visual representation of how life balances us out evenly and you can build your own life and live it the way you want to. You start loving yourself more; you become kinder to yourself; you really listen to what you need. In addition, the compositions remain playful and suggests that there are no rules. You can do anything. It’s your life.
“STILLNESS IS KEY” - 20”x24”
“Stillness is Key” is a piece that focuses in on stillness — when true ideas come and real thinking arises. It’s so easy to get sucked into the media and so far interconnected with what everyone else is doing. It’s important to create more moments of stillness in our lives. It may be disconnecting from the world and putting our phones away, taking a walk, starting a new hobby, meditating when you feel overwhelmed. Whatever it is, you always have the power to create stillness in your life.
This piece is a visual representation of having the power to create the stillness in your life despite all the other distractions in this world. The composition suggests coming to center and focusing in on your life to find internal calmness, mindfulness, and stillness.
“SALTY PLEASURES” - 36”x48”
“Salty Pleasures” is a piece that is driven from the act of indulging in a form of gratification to aid in a time of turmoil. For me, eating out at restaurants and experiencing new food is something I thoroughly enjoy. During the pandemic and not being able to go out to a restaurant to enjoy some of the best food around in New Orleans was so very hard. I not only missed the food, but I missed the act of gathering with not only friends but strangers.
This piece is a visual representation of how we (Louisiana) are so unique to having such a strong foundation for not only a uniquely delectable cuisine but also unity. Our culture thrives off of gatherings and indulging in some of the best seafood — which is one the main reasons I love to call it home.
“PICK UP THE PIECES” - 16”x16”
“Pick Up The Pieces” is a piece of coming to terms that things are the way they are and you need to redeem a bad situation and restore matters to normal.
This piece is a visual representation of how life will not always go as planned and tragedies occur, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and you do come out stronger. In addition, the composition this piece displays a dark and moody bottom that upwardly fades into lightness: representing the act of getting back to normalcy after experiencing a bad situation.
“Piece of Paradise” - 30”x48”
“Piece of Paradise” was inspired by finding happiness in the beauty that surrounds us outdoors. Being outdoors gives us energy, makes us happier, helps us to relieve the everyday stresses of our overscheduled lives, and opens the door to creativity. It was one of the things I enjoyed the most during the times of quarantine.
I chose to include the scenery of a cypress swamp in this series not only for their construction and ornamental values, but because of their strength & stability. What’s so interesting about cypress trees is that the knees are a heavy-duty anchoring system. They are able to withstand hurricanes because of that system. They sway and bend but don’t snap. I think that’s very interesting; they are so suited to their habitat. This is a reminder that no matter how hard things may get, you are never given any obstacles that you cannot take on. “You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have”.
Expanding from the larger works in the collection, I created these watercolor abstracts. Each piece has incorporated soft, light, and calming pastel tones to give a calming presence to them. In addition, the compositions remain playful and free-flowing; suggesting flexibility and adaptability.
