The Easter Eggs of PLATINUM

Come closer. I’m going to share some easter eggs with you!

A big part of connecting with art is being able to talk about it. Every decision I make in a piece has a reason behind it- even some of the “happy accidents” that can occur with watercolor help tell a story. Each piece of the PLATINUM collection has special meaning so I thought I’d pull the curtain back a bit and let you in on the hidden easter eggs.

You already know about the platinum drops (if you missed this, scroll back a few posts) but did you take note of the two main colors seen in all eight of the paintings? Each piece is primarily blue with touches of orange. First meaning is that blue reminds people of water/the ocean. It’s calming and therapeutic and has a rebirth/baptismal element to it. “Washes you clean” if you will. But when I added the touches of orange, that was for a much more literal meaning- a nod to the treatment packaging. Each treatment IV bag had orange caps and deep ultramarine writing. (The color orange also repeated itself in the pill bottles that lined our kitchen counter.)

And did you notice the line work varies more in these paintings than my other work? If you look closely at the flower, the lines lose their vibrance and strength when they’re under the pool. They go from multiple black lines to one solitary graphite line. That’s to illustrate how much of a toll the treatment takes on you. And how about the bold, graphic lines that run across each piece? A nod to the IV lines that delivered the medicine.

Lastly, the blooms themselves. Some are fully open while others are in various states of opening or closing. I’ll keep the mystery behind what exactly each one represents, but what I will share is they represent the emotional shifts experienced throughout the whole ordeal.

Now my question for you is, were these surprises or had you already started to decipher the various hidden meanings in the works?