As an only child, I do not have the tight companionship of a sibling. Luckily for me, I have a handful of cousins similar in age that have graciously taken me under their wing. The paintings in this series feature all of my exceptional cousins who care for me like I am their own sister. We might have all grown up together, but each of our personalities are remarkably different. Our similarities unite us as family but our differences make us independent young women. In painting them, I worked to capture their true spirit by positioning them within different locations around Phoenix, a place where we all grew up. Each element of each painting was carefully curated to explain each individual’s personality and character. The careful selection of color palette, the decisive use of paint texture and pattern, and the purposeful utilization of plants and landscapes combine to ascribe specific meaning to each of the portraits.

​

Each of my cousins and I have some sort of mental struggle that we deal with; whether it be anxiety or panic attacks. Growing up together we have helped each other though these moments, gathering strength from one another like a united team. I care for each of them very passionately and by painting them I show my appreciation for them and their struggles. Each painting is a love letter to my “sisters”. This is how I visually experience them and encourage their success in my creative way.

​

The mutual unselfish love I have with my cousins has begun to expand to new people coming into my life. In moving forward with my work I will focus on these new people and places so that others can see my passion and understand such a powerful bond.