Growth & Knowledge is an exhibition that displays the path toward finding the style, mood, and concepts that I came to incorporate into my art practice. After experimenting with multiple types of mediums and subject matter in art school, I began working with watercolour and ink depicting representational subjects. From there, I worked on a series called Contemporary Portraits, in which I created modernized versions of historical paintings. While working on this series I used information and findings from my education in Studies in Women and Gender, taking into consideration the objectification of women and the male gaze that felt so catered to in historical portraiture. 

As I worked on the Contemporary Portraits series, I realized my love for narrative artwork and artwork that can tell a story or hold a narrative. I enjoyed hearing other people’s interpretations of what the artwork was saying and appreciated the fact that each person could have their own opinion on what was happening within the art. The drive to explore narrative artwork and further expand on my illustrative style led me to explore animals and settings, experimenting with what could be said beyond standard portraiture. It was at this time I turned to the realm of children’s books, both new and classic, drawing inspiration from the varied use of lines and bright colour schemes. Eventually, this path led me to work on a children’s illustration portfolio to work in the children’s book field.

Growth & Knowledge is an exhibition showing the growth of an artist and the knowledge an artist gathers to move into the path they desire in their practice. I’ve always been interested in seeing how an artist got to where they are now and I think an artist’s process of finding their “niche” should be celebrated, whether it’s multi-media and various subject matter or focused on one theme