The themes came about mainly for two reasons. The first is the show’s 20 piece limit on a certain style/subject. I set out to make 100 paintings, so this structured my work into 5 categories. The second reason is the feedback I’ve received, as well as my inspiration. Two of my close friends helped me analyze the artwork which I had submitted to previous 20 dollar art shows and we discussed which pieces were successful and why. This made it clear what direction to take the art in. The following five categories were the result:

1. Tropical – I have always been drawn to the ocean since growing up in Coos Bay on the Oregon Coast. Combining my original love for the beach along with a newfound passion for the beauty of Hawaii, my tropical pieces were born! Tiki masks with exaggerated expressions, lava flowing and creating new land, the relaxing vacation vibe of the scenery; there are just so many incredible subjects to explore in this category.

2. Sea Life – Piggybacking off of the tropical theme, the sea life category steps off the land and dives into the water. There is always something new to learn about the ocean, like Siphonophores for example (these animals are made up of a colony of organisms!). In addition to the intrigue of underwater life, there are some amazing aesthetics. The brilliant colors of the animals, as well as the way water shifts the atmosphere surrounding a subject.

3. Space – 3, 2, 1 Lift off! Space is incredibly fascinating to me, mainly because it puts us in perspective of how small we actually are. You could fit around 1.3 million Earths inside the sun. Our Milky Way galaxy contains around 100 billion stars. Zoom out again to find more galaxies which form clusters. Beyond these clusters is what’s called superclusters (clusters of clusters). Okay enough fun facts, but hopefully this paints a picture (pun intended) of how incredible our universe is.

4. Spooky – Halloween has got to be my favorite holiday. I loved trick or treating as a kid, and the spooky aesthetics have always been so appealing. It’s probably no surprise then that orange is my favorite color! Many of these pieces began with a character theme in mind, such as witch, pirate, zombie, vampire, goblin, and I can’t leave out swag demon! There are also a couple of folklore pieces including Baba Yaga and Rusalka.

5. Figure – Figure art is something I’ve wanted to get great at, but haven’t always had the confidence to practice. The 20 Dollar Art Show has given me a great space to explore figures, portraits, and goony stylizations; all while having a platform to present it. I am very grateful! What’s funny is when I was little I thought that the human subject was boring. Now I know that it is one of the most challenging and rewarding subjects to paint and the possibilities are endless.

I am thrilled with the pieces I was able to create this time around and look forward to sharing them with you! I would love to hear your feedback regarding my work so I may take it into consideration as I continue painting.

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