Three Weeks Already?

Can’t believe it’s already been three weeks since the Sugar & Vice opening! (Have you seen the show yet? It’s on display until September 29th so you only have a couple of weeks to get there!)

Reactions

I was interviewed on a podcast last night and we got to talking about inspiration/influence and what motivates me. I spoke about how I find raw talent and vulnerability to be the most impactful and inspiring. Art (from paintings to music to books and more) that makes you FEEL. It’s those things that push me to take risks, to be vulnerable, and to create.

I’m so proud of how much SUGAR & VICE has made people stop and feel. How many people have come to me to say they’ve had similar experiences, or to thank me for sharing my stories and then sharing their OWN stories. How one woman- before reading anything or even knowing the premise behind the show- remarked at just how nostalgic they were. How they kept reminding her of a specific time and feeling from her life. (Such a validating moment!)

This grouping is an especially emotional rollercoaster for people-and almost everyone reacted the exact same way (especially women.) First, with “Gold Star Dependent” there was a look of being seen- of recognition and understanding. Then with “Balloon Animals”- laughter. Every single time. (And a little bit of surprise.) And then lastly, heartbreak with “Stories People Tell.” This was where men and women differed a bit. Men were quieter and more still, while almost every woman physically responded. More than once I heard a sharp gasp, two times I saw tears, and almost everyone put her hand to her heart. It was truly amazing to witness.

If you haven’t seen the show or read the stories yet, you still have a little while left (until September 29th to be exact.) And if you can’t make it to Balance Design in Atlanta, click on “SHOP- current collection” to view everything there.

Detail shot

Detail shot from “Both Our Phones And Our Sandals Were Clear.”

Part of the Sugar & Vice collection. This one is sold, but head over to my site to view the entire 18 piece series and claim your favorite.

Art Labels- Stories and Polaroids

My ten largest pieces (the 18”x24” paintings) are all accompanied with an “in process” polaroid of the popsicle(s) that made them, as well as the story that inspired them. While some of the stories are funny, others are a bit heartbreaking. What they all have in common though are that bring about strong emotions/memories. One of my favorite parts of the show was just watching people experience a painting, then experience its story, then re-experience the painting all over again. It’s a kind of shared vulnerability that I love.

The installation of Sugar & Vice

You guys. The show is officially installed and it looks phenomenal. Cannot wait for the opening tomorrow! Will I see you there? (Speaking of the opening, head over to the video to get a preview of the playlist 😉)

You can’t tell here, but the air conditioner broke earlier that morning so I was a sweaty mess getting all this hung lol (Luckily everything was fixed before the show started!)

One of my favorite views

SUGAR & VICE Artist Statement

*Reminder: the pools seen in this series paintings were created by the melting of popsicles I had previously made out of watercolors and inks

Why popsicles? Because of the nostalgia and the mess. Everyone has a childhood memory that involves a popsicle of some sort. Doesn't matter if they were homemade or store bought, if they were fancy or were nothing more than artificially dyed sugar water in plastic sleeves- it's a memory that we all can relate to. How our tongues and lips would get stained, the pools of melted colors left behind when they melted.

Sugar & Vice (a play on the nursery rhyme that girls are "sugar and spice and everything nice") is the story of growing up. The sometimes funny, sometimes sad -oftentimes confusing- road between girlhood and womanhood. How those stages melt into each other- neither having a definitive beginning or end, and how those experiences leave behind "stains" that influence what we think and who we become.