Ahhh

“Ahhh” Acrylic & joint compound on canvas. 24 x 48” 2023. $3,200

The painting has progressed with me along my journey of making time for quietness, rest, and taking more baths. It speaks to the trend of "soft girl era" by depicting a black woman in a state of rest, a purposeful contrast to our ancestors’ slavery. It's also contrasting the roles many women have to juggle without getting burnt out.

There’s this new term called “soft girl era,” and this painting (which I began before I knew of the trend) communicates that. My great-grandfather always said we were “Living on flowery beds of ease.” That’s the meaning behind the water lilies painted over the painting. He had a hard life compared to mine. He would consider my life luxurious (even if I don’t see it that way.)

The mint blue/green bathtub is calming. It’s a color I’ve never really worked with before, so I wanted to try something new. The ripples of the water distort the subject’s body, and it’s also stylistically disproportionate and inaccurate. I like that about this painting because life is already hyper-realistic; I don’t think this painting needs to be.

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Room Vibes: Calming rooms, meditation spaces, bathrooms, or closets where you should be relaxing. Cool tone rooms or a bright room with yellow accents. Energies include a person stepping into their soft era, one who appreciates pauses in their day, and who is working on being a little more selfish.