Although concepting for my senior show started this past summer, I had somewhat of a clear direction of what I wanted the senior show to comment on; and that was coming of age. Being married this past summer and concentrating on the ideas of what it means to be an adult, along with the ramifications assumed as being a women, I started questioning and thinking how I wanted to portray these ideas in paintings. Having an illustrative-background, and my love for the fine-art and the 'lowbrow' genre, I wanted to combine the two in a set of paintings.
The project is far from done, but I've finished the three defining paintings of the series. They each represent a stage of life: childhood, adolescense, and transition to womenhood and adulthood. Although the pieces were inspired and driven from my personal experiences, I did not want to limit the experiences to my personal outlook alone.
I have many smaller paintings that will describe and portray the feelings and narrative of the protaganist, who the audience sees as a young girl in the first section of the narrative, and experiences her growth as the paintings progress.
As far as material, the paintings started off as oil paintings. For the sake of meeting a deadline, I've finished the three paintings digitally, which you will see in the progress shots. My final intention for these pieces are to finish them in oils, even though they are finished in a different sense digitally. I feel that this progression will enhance and be incorporated in the final oil paintings.
Without further ado!
"Distant Clarity"
A Visual Timeline of Coming of Age
"The premise of my paintings is based on the exploration of vulnerability and experiences portrayed in symbolic characters and environments.
The appearances of women, creatures, vanities, and ghostly figures are enigmatic representations and symbols of vulnerability.
I am attempting to question, record, express, and relieve experiences and responses of the self by representing them in tangible yet fantastical environments. The distance between the enigmatic and personal experiences describes the mundane nature of vulnerability."
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| "The Red Apples" | saraholbert.com |
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| "Distant Clarity" | saraholbert.com |
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| "The Wise Owl Prowls" | saraholbert.com |
