“Dreams” (2020-2021)

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This series was created during the winter of 2020-2021. Inspired by the tarot card of “The Moon,” these pieces delve into themes of shadow work, the wilderness of the mind, surreal dreams and fears, distorted reality, and finding light in our own darkness.

This past year has held deep practices in sitting in discomfort, especially as we moved into the cold uncertain winter and the isolation that came along with that. My mental health struggled, and I longed to work through the patterns of negative feelings I have exhibited towards myself. I was curious what I would find if I were to intentionally explore the unknown and mysterious nightscapes inside of my mind. I began to ask myself: where does this negativity come from, and how does it continue to serve me? How can I use my experiences to inform my work, and to better understand myself? Directly confronting the trauma and self-harm practices of my past allowed me to experience great healing in the present.  

In my process, I began each painting from a black background. I wanted to capture the feeling of “painting light” out of the darkness. In exploring the idea of distorted self-image, I used broken and scratched cd’s as mirrors to create these dysmorphic reflections. The moon is also heavily featured as a subject; to me, she represents inner power and strength, life cycles, the divine feminine, and shining a light in the darkness. There is great vulnerability in sharing the parts of ourselves we want to keep in shadow, and this series allowed me to explore that kind of openness.