Artist Statement
My artwork is primarily motivated by the idea that the innocence we are all born with, and experience as children is one of the most important human traits. I feel as though this childlike perspective is something we should carry into adulthood, striving to keep it throughout our whole lives.
I find it upsetting that so many people lose their wonder and curiosity as they grow. Life would be so much more enjoyable if we took time to appreciate the little things that used to excite us as kids, like the light through tree leaves, or a colorful little bug. It's easy to get caught up in all of the hardships and negative aspects of becoming an adult, but those struggles could be lightened with just a little bit of childlike wonder.
When thinking back to my childhood, I remember my excitement over simple things, such as frogs and willow trees. At that age, I would get so giddy every time I saw a frog in my backyard. In my memory, frogs were so much bigger and more interesting than they are to me now. My goal is to create work that will allow me to get back in touch with that curiosity and appreciation for simple things.
To achieve this goal, I choose to depict my memories in wonderous and exciting ways, because that’s how I remember seeing them when I was a kid. Experiencing these memories through my artwork as a teenager strikes wonder in me again, and reminds me of how easy it was to get excited when I was little. I hope that my audience would also be able to find connections to this idea. Maybe they too remember having an obsession with frogs, or perhaps they recall everything being bigger and more important when they were younger. Regardless of how individuals specifically connect to my work, I attempt to create artwork that invites the viewer in to see simple things in a way that could bring them a bit more happiness in their stressful and busy lives.
Following my fascination surrounding childhood perspective, I choose to create digital artwork because I feel as though there’s a wondrous and playful effect that comes with the smooth, simple cartoonist style on screen, that I wouldn’t be able to achieve as effectively on paper. I enjoy experimenting with light and color in my work, making objects appear to “glow,” because I find there is a captivating quality of light that often intrigues people of all ages. With digital illustration, the use of glowing lights and reflections is more immersive to the viewer, as they can experience the bright shining of light on their face in person.
