I have drawn from a series of photographs that encapsulate memories of the coast I grew up on. I explore memory and an epistemological notion of ‘care.’ I use the word ‘care’ because it facilitates valuing both positive and negative emotions associated with my relationships.
Humans are relational beings, we thrive by maintaining healthy connections. Through ‘caring,’ we can show the importance of these connections since it is a characteristic we use to show love. I seek to uncover the core of these places - their essence of being that transcends my emotional perception and reaches into a deeper, more intrinsic understanding.
Alluding to water's transparency, watercolor harbors expressions of memory as I play with gestural organic markings. Like water, I've found that re-painting these places has a cleansing quality. With every iteration, I move further from the photograph but closer to my perception or feeling about the place. I associate the color blue with all the fundamental memories I've had with different bodies of water. By using blue I am activating a visual link with this internal feeling of ‘care.’ My own experiences define blue as a connector and connections are upheld through caring. Using blue is a direct response to valuing these experiences.
