When I paint, a part of my identity goes into my art.
Give me a blank canvas and I will paint. My feelings, my moods and my stress will be expressed on that canvas. My artistic style reflects who I am, and my continuous years of painting represent my growth and acceptance to struggles I faced as an artist and as a person. I couldn’t describe myself through one singular painting, but rather as all the pieces I have created over the years.
My pieces are not an exact replica of anything because my interpretation is what makes them unique. As I’ve said, my paintings reflect who I am. Though art is subjective, I’ve grown to realize my better pieces were created when I kept my artistic style to satisfy myself rather than others. I like to use a lot of bright and loud colors. Coming from a large Italian family, shouting means we love each other. I prefer to use a large canvas. I like to be bold and have a large presence in a room.
When it comes to personal growth, painting has taught me that it is ok to leave some chapters in my life unfinished. Sometimes I find myself not being able to finish a piece and having to move on to another. In life, we don’t always get the closure that we crave, which has been hard for me to handle in the past.
When it comes to acceptance, I have learned to believe life is full of happy accidents. When I paint and make a mistake, I usually end up leaving it and it becomes my favorite part of the piece. It is about going with the flow. Growing up with a brother that has autism, going with the flow was very hard for my entire family. The struggles that came with my brother’s disability were something I had to learn to accept.
My paintings have become my outlet to express myself. Painting has taught me the art of personal growth and acceptance. When I finish a painting, all of the emotion I poured into it remains on that canvas and I am able to start fresh.