21-year-old girl stuck with the mind of a 16-year-old

My work is inspired by insecurities, social awkwardness, the quarter-life crisis, lonely people, icons, lost girls, outsiders, love/hate relationships, mistakes, wanderlust, tiny bits of optimism, instability, possibilities, and more.. 

As self-absorbed as this may seem, I’ve always enjoyed creating self-portraits. I just find it more freeing to use images to express myself rather than words. I did a lot more journal writing when I was little, but nowadays I don’t feel as much relief from writing as I do with painting. It’s much harder for me to build sentences that perfectly describe whatever I’m thinking.

Frida Kahlo once said, “I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.” I have no intentions of putting myself on the level of Frida’s extraordinary work; this is just a quote I read from her that I really feel a connection to - and something I find both inspiring and sad. 

Towards the end of 2010 I also started painting portraits of friends and family members, or anyone I’ve met that has left an impression on me. I like to do portraits of people who have confided in me at some point and/or that I’ve seen in a vulnerable state. Even with the good friends we may have in our lives, it’s inevitable that we’ll find ourselves feeling completely alone and with no one to turn to. I know I tend to feel socially awkward, sometimes even in familiar environments - and I always wonder if I’m being supportive enough of the people I care about. The portraits I do of others is my way kind of letting them know that they’re in my thoughts and that I’m on their side no matter the circumstances. 

I hope you enjoy what you see.