Clicking on the photographs will enlarge them.
Autumn Leaves
16” x 20”
This is an observational still life made from oil paint on canvas. I gathered fallen foliage and sticks that were scattered around the art studio and formed the composition. Being my first oil painting, I explored the medium and honed in on intricate details as well as the process of blending colors with oil paint.
Leaves in Vase
16” x 20”
This is an observational still life made from oil paint on canvas. I made this piece after my first oil paint botanical piece, and decided to revisit the process of foliage collection and creating my own composition. This time, however, I wanted to explore using oil paint with subjects beyond natural items and ultimately landed on a clear vase.
Green Branch
12” x 18”
This is an observation of a still life made from watercolor paint on watercolor paper. This is the first botanical painting that I made, which catalyzed my developing interest in natural and botanical subjects. After only being familiar with colored pencils, I tried watercolor for the first time and learned the fast drying and loose properties of the medium. Initially, I found watercolor difficult to handle, although I eventually began to embrace it.
Purple Flower
11 1/2” x 17”
This is an observational still life made from colored pencil on paper. Like my other botanical pieces, I gathered a real life flower from a shrub outside the art studio I attended and wanted to try focusing on an individual item rather than a composition. I soon remembered why I loved colored pencils and their ability to capture detail, which I realized was something that I had been trying to mimic in my paintings.
Still Life in Gray
9” x 12”
This is an observational still life, made from charcoal on paper. I made this piece in pursuit of exploring a range of mediums and working on my understanding of value and shadows. I found the process of using an eraser as a tool to be educational and a challenge.
Glass Jars
11 1/2” x 15”
This is a drawing created from a photo reference, made from colored pencil on paper. In addition to botanicals, I was interested in portraying materials, such as glass, and understanding how light affects and passes through glass.
Oyster
8” x 11”
This is a painting created from a photo reference, made from watercolor paint on watercolor paper. After purchasing a travel size watercolor palette, I began a journey of small scale, singular compositions where I would concentrate on minute details, as I found them to be the most exciting parts of paintings. Quickly, I enjoyed juxtaposing a rather fluid and unforgiving medium with tiny details.
Glass and Tissues
9” x 12”
This is an observational still life drawing made from colored pencil on paper. For a studio art assignment at school, I gathered items from around my house and constructed a composition. Here, I was able to incorporate different elements of skill practice by combining textures of both tissue paper, glass and a flower.
Snake
18” x 24”
This is a still life drawing made from oil pastels on mixed media paper. I wanted to venture towards mediums that I had never tried before, and landed on oil pastels. To me, oil pastels fused paint and colored pencils, and in turn made them really enjoyable to work with and learn how both unblended and blended oil pastel works together to add dimension to work.
Tomato
9” x 12"
This is a piece created from a photo reference, made from oil pastels on paper. After using oil pastels to create my snake piece, I wanted to explore the medium again. I wanted to challenge myself by keeping the subject more simple and focusing on prominent lines and color blocks, while honing in on form and light.
Lightbulbs
14” x 17”
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This is an observational still life made from ink on paper. Before making the piece I studied different forms of ink shading, including hatching and contouring, however I ended up using the stipple method for this piece. The process of using tiny dots and small lines to articulate a bigger picture was fascinating and challenged my understanding of contrast and depth.
Hydrangea
9” x 12"
This is a painting created from a photo reference, made from watercolor paint on watercolor paper. After not using watercolor to create botanical paintings in a while, I decided I wanted to explore the pairing of the medium and subject again. With this piece I tried to focus on the abstract element of watercolor and recognizing how repeated simple shapes and colors form a bigger picture, rather than focusing on specific details.
Childhood Home
9” x 12”
This is a painting created from a photo reference, made from watercolor paint on watercolor paper. I decided to paint this piece of my childhood home where I could study form and perception of architecture. Additionally, I also wanted to incorporate some botanical elements and I really enjoy the juxtaposition of straight, geometric lines next to flowy trees and bushes.