Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

Endless Blossoming

The ideas I explore in Endless Blossoming are: transformation, happiness, sadness, and the ways in which they impact my life. The paintings are a series of three, oil on canvas, that display a sense of contemplation. They are about mental illness and seasonal depression. I show my own struggle through landscapes, because the weather has always affected my moods. Winter signifies disparity and spring/summer signifies contentment. My first painting in the series displays winter using variations of blue, black, and purple paint to convey the emotions through color. This creates a feeling of fear and uneasiness. The second painting is a self-portrait, that shows the feeling of being stuck between these two emotions one that I desire, and one I cannot escape from. As the cold weather ends, the warmth begins. The third painting displays a bright atmosphere. I use bright saturated colors to convey optimism, hope, and happiness. Endless Blossoming also includes various prints to explore the ideas of transformation. These prints are on paper made from woodblocks and copper plate etchings. I use repeated motifs which include a swallowtail butterfly, a Luna moth, and pothos vines. The swallowtail butterfly and Luna moth symbolize transformation, optimism, happiness, etc through their color and the process they go through within their life cycles. The pothos vine symbolizes longing and desire. I combine these elements to express the different stages of transformation I am going through, and as a way to create optimism and hope.