Between the Sheets | A New Beginning

From 2010 to 2019 I spent a lot of time trying to find my identity in the art world. I was passionate about the community as a whole, and I loved painting, but I don’t know that I ever truly found myself during that time. I painted what made sense, what clients requested, what I felt would set me apart from others... ultimately, I painted what was safe, what was comfortable. Because of that, I could never really identify what I loved about any of my work, or why I was doing it. I would listen to other artists speak on their pieces and why they created, and I could hear the fire in thaem. I could feel it, but I could never really find that spark within myself, and eventually I burned out.

I didn’t pick up a brush for years. I took myself out of the community, and out of my art because I don’t know that I truly allowed myself to be fully submersed in it to begin with. I realized I was missing an element of vulnerability and rawness in my work. After years of working on myself and my mental health, I decided to paint again, and this piece, “Between the Sheets” was the first one where I actually felt that spark. It’s a vulnerable piece being not only the first human form I’ve ever painted, but it’s also the first time I’ve painted myself, and at the point of its inception I hadn’t painted anything in years. There was a lot of weight to every stroke, but for the first time in a very long time I fell in love with the process and the piece itself. Now it serves as a visual reminder for me to put a piece of myself in everything I create, and to not be afraid for being a vulnerable or a little bit raw. There’s a lot of beauty and inspiration to be found in those moments.

“Between the Sheets” | 2023 | Acrylic on Canvas