Artist bio

I was born and raised in Arlington Virginia. I have always had a love for the arts and I knew that the visual arts was the direction that I wanted to move towards for my future career. I am a senior graduating from James Madison University this December and I want to figure out way to help my dream become a reality.

Title

Temple

Medium/Genre

Painting

Artist Statement

Being a woman in a heavily male dominated world I believe the message of female empowerment needs to be shared. Using tattoo imagery and incorporating it with female figures allows the concept for my pieces to grow. I am inspired by various tattoo styles where every individual image has meaning. The concept of wanting to show strength through specific tattoos provides a broad range of references. In the past I found myself almost afraid to expand my color palette, through my recent experimentation of color, I bring life and depth to the figures. I want to show the combination of femininity and strength, all while incorporating the bold imagery of the tattoos onto these seemingly delicate figures. This allows viewers to see both sides a female must obtain at all times, through the use of close-up depictions of these figures and a halo like glow around them it gives these female figures a sense of importance. These pieces provided me an outlet, oftentimes I found myself struggling with the lack of self-confidence but by creating these paintings provided me with the empowerment that I was deprived of in my personal life. The brightness in the color palette along with the boldness of the line work was a new concept that has changed the way I see myself in the world. Embracing who I am as an artist and as a female has benefited the way I have gone about creating my pieces.

How it fits into contest

For this specific work I was heavily influenced by my love for rose windows. I was taught that your body is your temple and that we should care for the body that we were given. I combined the ideas of the rose window and tattoos to represent the internal struggle that I have with being true to who I think I am but also following the word of God.

How to Purchase this Artwork

$250, if the painting wanted to be purchased the buyer could contact me through my Instagram handle.

Submit Your Artwork Today!

Curious? Interested in submitting artwork to our contest? Know someone who might be? Through April 14th, 2022, the Engage Art Contest is open to the whole world! Get your foot in the door by claiming your Artist Page now!