Fester
Joanna B.
-
As an artist, I strive to convey human feelings through vibrant colors and dynamic lighting/poses. "Fester" slightly deviates off track from my previous works, and attempts to encapsulate feelings of resentment after the end of a friendship.
I felt it was easy for negative emotions to ferment within my heart, to let resentment spread and manifest itself as sadness or anger. However, in this painting, my goal was to explore the borderline between moving on from these regrets and starting anew.
The person depicted in the painting is a vibrant red, to symbolize the intensity of their state of mind. The background is black; they are lost in their gloom, with no way out. The lighting where their heart resides is dark, to represent the dismay they feel. In this shadow, they have secrets; emotions which they hide under the veil of darkness. However, it is now light-- the effervescent light which shines from their heart symbolizes a realization. It is the realization that they should move on from their loss, to discard the resentment which has been festering within their soul. This spark lights the gloominess around them. The koi fish come in to feed on the festering resentment, symbolizing the beginning of moving on.
My process in creating this painting was very convoluted-- I had begun it right before the initial falling out, and completed it when I finally moved on. The challenge was deciding what feelings I wanted to capture in this painting. I decided to challenge myself and try more texture, in order to convey the roughness behind moving on. I opted out of additional abstractness which I had intended to paint, because I wanted the subject's "enlightening" to be the main focus. I intend to experiment further with a diverse color palette and even more dynamic lighting.
My own interpretation behind this painting is that only me, can pull myself out of my mental darkness. Though its evidently easier to receive outside help, such as the depiction of the koi fish, they won't swim unless I tread upstream and call for help independently. It is only with time, and prolonged self-reflection, I can truly move on and grow as an individual.
-
Being able to explore and express my creativity betters my life. Through pencils and paintbrushes, I'm able to convey stories which I am otherwise unable to explain through words! I can give my thanks or show my appreciation for various aspects or people in my life through these visual stories.
