20260423-066_web_warmth_held_still
Warmth Held Still
Ava Stading
Colored pencil, 18 x 13 in.
This artwork depicts a lone, black-and-white puppy backed into the corner of towering, gray brick walls. The composition relies on stark visual contrast, emphasizing the isolation of the primary subject against a dull, oppressive background. Symbolically, the puppy’s white fur represents untainted purity and innocence, while its forced positioning in the corner highlights a feeling of profound vulnerability within a strange environment. The massive gray walls stretching endlessly beyond the frame embody the rigid, unrelenting structures of society. Ultimately, the piece explores how these imposing societal confines restrict individual growth, trapping innocence within an overwhelming and unyielding framework.
20260423-105_web_to_reach_out_to_lose
To Reach Out, To Lose
Isabella Greenlee
Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 16 in.
Finally delving fully into the theme of loss, this piece uses space to emphasize the feeling of reaching out just to barely miss. The blue void of the canvas, while it still features plants from my original piece in the foreground, evokes a sense of emptiness. The disembodied hands being the subject only adds to this feeling.
Featuring the hands of Em and Vi, this project outright references the death of Vi. With the same unnatural skin-tones as the last project, life and death sit next to each other, one trying to pull the other awake but so afraid to touch.
20260423-103_web_a_touch_of_loss
A Touch of Loss
Isabella Greenlee
Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20 in.
Dipping into themes of both love and loss, this work highlights the transition of grief. The acrylic painting emphasizes the unrealital aspect of losing somebody you hold dearly.
With two girls–Em and Vi–laying in opposite directions, painted with unnatural skin-tones and blending into the plants surrounding them, this piece pushed the boundaries of reality and its perception. Em, the curly-haired girl, the girl who lives, is painted with a reminiscent and bittersweet expression. Vi, the girl with short hair, the girl who dies, leans away with an almost peaceful expression and skin that looks more like rot than plant matter.
20260423-098_web_a_window
A Window
Isabella Greenlee
Digital painting and acrylic on paper, 17 1/4 x 10 in.
In this project, I used color and facial expression to demonstrate acceptance and healing. With a focus on healing as my theme, I took advantage of the concept that eyes are “the window to the soul”. I also used harsh lighting and color to indicate the veil of grief and loss being lifted.
In the center of the work is a sliver of Em’s eyes, looking up and to the side, smiling. Her skin is a natural shade, rather than the yellow-green of my previous works, and no plants are present, another metaphor for her healing.
20260423-092_web_note_to_self
Note to Self
Isabella Greenlee
Acrylic, ink, graphite, chalk pastels on paper, 20 x 16 in.
In this project, I used color and facial expression to demonstrate acceptance and healing. With a focus on healing as my theme, I took advantage of the concept that eyes are “the window to the soul”. I also used harsh lighting and color to indicate the veil of grief and loss being lifted.
In the center of the work is a sliver of Em’s eyes, looking up and to the side, smiling. Her skin is a natural shade, rather than the yellow-green of my previous works, and no plants are present, another metaphor for her healing.