layers of me
image detail
Below you will find photographs of the original artwork that comprise the entirety of the collaged final piece, layers of ME. Enjoy! If you have any questions, please send an email to 5petalsart@gmail.com. The various pieces of art start at #02, in the order of top left to bottom right of the collage, similar to how you would read a page in a book.
01
"Great Mother"
This photo (I used the other version for the piece) was taken by my dear friend, Lisa Preston, DO, in CT. We were away on a working vacation, and I channeled the version of me I nicknamed the "Mother", who was able to take care of everything and everyone. But could I take care of myself? (as my son remarked, "mom, you look so tired in that photo")
Photo, Feb 2023
02
Self Portrait: Back
This was a homework assignment I did in the spring of 1996 for Figure Drawing 101 at the Mason Gross School of the Arts when I attended undergraduate at Rutgers College, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. This piece was ultimately hidden behind the "layers" under my other artwork.
Charcoal, c. 1996
03
Bather: from a fountain group
This was another homework assignment from my art class in undergrad. We were instructed to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, and draw a piece there. The boy who took me there would eventually become my husband, then my ex-husband. She symbolizes the innocence I felt when I drew this at the Met, where it is now still displayed.
Newsprint, charcoal, c. 1996; original artist: Jean Antoine Houdon
Lily
This was an early painting that jump started my artistic pursuits, during the covid-19 pandemic. I painted this on paper while listening to many, many youtube videos on the coronavirus, educating myself on this brand new virus so I can keep my patients alive. This painting was ultimately hidden behind the other portraits, as I deemed those more important to showcase.
Paper, acrylic, c. 2020
.jpg)
05
Self Portrait: study
This was a study for the ultimate ENORMOUS (think 18"x24" x 4) self portrait I did as an assignment for my art class in college. Come to think of it, we had a LOT of homework for that class! I chose this as part of layers of me - well, for obvious reasons. My son didn't recognize me in this.
Newsprint, charcoal, c. 1996
06
RBG
When Ruth Bader Ginsburg died at the end of 2020, the reaction was mixed. Many criticized her for refusing to retire, in spite of health problems and Republican opposition during the Obama era. However, to me, we lost a canon in an ultimately feminist figure. There were things she could've done better, but I wanted to honor her. This was my very first time painting a portrait, and I loved learning how to mix skin color. I placed her behind myself, as a metaphor that she's got my back.
Paper, acrylic, c. 2021
07
Close-up study: male torso
I took art classes in high school senior year at the Art Students' League in NYC. My best friend, Carla Heitzman, would come pick me up from the northern NJ town we lived in, and we'd take the bus on Saturday morning to our art class in the city. My conservative parents did not know we were drawing nude figures... but that's a story for another day. I began doing close-up studies of figures, and this was one of them.
The male torso was placed behind RBG's portrait, bc patriarchy is an ever-looming presence behind women.
Newsprint, charcoal, c. 1995.
08
Flower
This was one of the first flowers I painted during the pandemic. I first picked up a paint by numbers from Amazon - we had some much time at home during the lockdown that I wanted my then 12-yo son to start a hobby with me. He painted twice with me before going right back to playing Minecraft, but I was hooked. So I found my old paintbrushes and painted this beautiful chrysanthemum.
Paper, Michaels' acrylic, c. 2020
09
Chadwick Boseman
This is a bit embarrassing. One year, I did a vision board, and part of it was an image of who I considered an ideal man. This was during the peak of Marvel-madness, and I had just read an amazing article about Chadwick Boseman and his choices in characters he played (Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson, James Brown, and of course, T'Challa). When he died of colon cancer in 2020, I couldn't believe it. I placed him front and center in my piece to commemorate the kind human that he was.
Paper, graphite, c. 2018
10
Thai Deities
This was part of a series of drawings for my final exam in Figure Drawing 101. We had to make 10 pieces and exhibit them as part of a final presentation for the class. I picked a series of lovely art from across different eras and cultures and showed them to my class. I loved the clean and joyous lines of these dancing gods. I chose these to represent the underpinnings of joyous deities we need in our lives.
Paper, graphite, c. 1996.
11
Calla lillies
This was during my series of flower painting in 2020-2021. I loved the green and black juxtaposition.
​
Paper, acrylic, c. 2021.
12
Self portrait: large
This was the final version of the homework assignment in Figure Drawing. My self portrait was quite austere with a button up shirt. This portrait was under the other later works to demonstrate how I've grown over the years.
Newsprint, charcoal, c. 1996.
.jpg)
13
Georgia O'Keefe study
During one of my online webinars during the pandemic, I began painting my favorite artist, Georgia O'Keefe. This was one of the many pieces I painted from her. I did not include these pieces in the foreground of layers of me because I felt like I was infringing on another relatively recent artist's work. I was so happy painting her pieces though. I felt so honored to be walking in the footsteps of a great American artist.
​
Paper, acrylic, c. 2021.
14
Nude figure: study
This was during one of the many figure drawing sessions we had in my class at Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts. I loved this rendering, as the figure was unabashedly female. These pieces are done within 15-min time frames, which was why I almost never finished the head/face (that would've taken longer than 15 min).
​
Paper, charcoal, c. 1996
15
Calla lily
This was during my series of flower painting in 2020-2021. I loved the green and black juxtaposition.
​
Paper, acrylic, c. 2021.
16
Nude figure drawing: seated
Another nude figure drawing in class in 1996. I loved the symbols of motherhood on this feminine figure.
​
Paper, charcoal, c. 1996
17
Greek sculpture
This was also during my Figure Drawing class in undergrad. I was experimenting with using white pencils to draw on black backgrounds, and how to render shades and forms differently.
​
Paper, wax pencil, c. 1996
18
Michelangelo: the Dying Slave
I did this rendering for the final project in Figure Drawing, which would be soon before I stopped drawing and painting altogether. To this day, I am trying to revive the artist within.
Newsprint, charcoal, c. 1996
Corregio: Allegory of the Virtues
I did the 3 angels part of Corregio's painting for a final art project in my Figure Drawing class. I had soon stopped drawing after this piece was completed, only picking up my charcoal or pencil when I made presents for my mother. Otherwise, I completely stopped producing art for 20 years. I loved the English duo Erasure, so quoted one of their songs here.
Newsprint, charcoal, c. 1996
Corregio: Leda and the Swan
This was the second half of the above drawing; I combined the two pieces and quoted Erasure. Soon after this, I would stop drawing and creating art completely. Unlike Leda who later gave birth after consummating with the Swan (either Jupiter or Zeus), my art instead died.
Newsprint, charcoal, c. 1996
Georgia O'Keefe: study
This was the very first piece of Georgia O'Keefe I painted during the covid-19 lockdown. I used 3 colors: red, yellow, and maroon. I was in heaven when I completed this. I had no idea I could paint like this, and with this, I felt the initial stirrings of the artist within, who would eventually lead me to enter my pieces into Art & Soul Magic Valley.
Paper, acrylic, c. 2020.
22
Female figure
This was also one of the drawings I did in 1996 in my Figure Drawing class, and it concludes our journey here of layers of me. Thank you!
Newsprint, charcoal, c. 1996.
