Art v. Artist, me and my artwork

I've heard it said that artists often resemble their artwork in some way. I'm not sure if that's true for me, haha.

Softest Dew, acrylic painting full process

A large, pink rose hovers in the clear, blue sky bejeweled with morning dew. Within the rose, silhouettes of cats frolic. Acrylic paint and glitter sealed in resin on broken partical board, wire mounted.

Tiny cats have been in many of my paintings, usually paired with flowers or fascinating objects. I paint these cats in silhouette only for a few reasons: I love focusing on the shape and form of the cat, I can create ambiguous poses, and these cats are meant to mirror shadowy hallucinations I sometimes experience when sleep deprived. Transforming something that scares me into something tiny and cute gives me some power back. Ever since I started painting these cats, the hallucinations that inspired them have diminished, and I wonder if there is a connection.

Poisoned Roots, a painting for The Copper Queens - full process and insight

I am excited to be working on album art for The Copper Queens - this design was chosen to represent Poisoned Roots. Dual roses lay crossed over each other. One appears healthy and blooming - its stem is cut, and coated in thick oozing blood. The opposing rose is wilted, facing downward and dripping black poison absorbed through sickened roots. For this project, I am painting in acrylic and mica pigments on 12"x12" stretched canvas.

Joey Marigold of The Copper Queens shared with me that she wrote this song about her mother's alcoholism. In listening to the song, I was inspired by the heavy tones contrasted with the delicate symbolism of the rose. To me, the dual roses represents both the choices available, and the mother and daughter as individuals. The choice laid out plainly: die consuming poison, or cut it out at the source: the roots. The second rose is cleanly cut, severed from its roots but still blossoming. Blood soaks the cut and thorns, representing sacrifice that will serve as fertilization for new roots to propagate. The mother withers, holding on to poison while the new generation makes the painful decision to flourish.

After listening to the song, I started with four concept sketches for the band to choose from. With the concept chosen, I created the painting, and then scanned and photographed it with a matte finish. I then used the scans to create a high-resolution image and edited them to the band's specifications. After I was satisfied with the resulting image, I finished the painting with glitter embellishments, resin, and a wire mount before sending it home to Joey.