In the collection “Silver Linings,” I wanted to explore the ethereal nature of clouds and the beauty of nature around us. Each one of these paintings is a loose impression of a cloud in real life, representing themes of family, serenity, growth, and the journey of life.
Family:
When I painted these clouds, I imagined each one representing us as individuals. Little clouds form next to the bigger bodies of clouds, which represent little new family members. The little ones continue to grow next to the bigger ones (siblings, parents) until one day they break apart as they become their own individuals. I see clouds as a beautiful experience in time, oftentimes fleeting in nature. This also represents the somewhat temporary nature of the core family and raising kids, where eventually kids grow up and have their own families.
Journey of life:
Metaphorically, the clouds also represent opportunities and experiences as we go through the journey of life. New smaller clouds come and go, some stay, some go, some grow, some fade. Some experiences are meant to be temporary - but all having their moment in time and beautiful when they lasted. “Petite Clouds” represents little opportunities growing and about to form into bigger possibilities. It represents the little seeds that are about to take off - forming and growing. “Breathe In” has a movement towards the left - as this cloud is in motion, making their next move.
Growth:
“All the places you will go”, “I wish you more”, “Above the clouds” and “Over the rainbow” are pieces that represent hopes and dreams - especially as they relate to the ones you have for yourself and for others. I imagine someone who sees these paintings also making a wish for their future dreams to come true. In the deep plum piece, “All the places you will go”, I imagine a kid who is just starting a sport or musical instrument who has bigger dreams of mastering their craft and more in the future - like a kid who is practicing piano and hopes to become a concert pianist. I imagine this piece being in a piano room, and it represents all the possibilities of their future. You're looking over the cloud and sitting on top of the cloud, looking towards your next step.
Serenity:
When I look at clouds I feel so calm - like there is a bigger world out there beyond the immediate. Clouds are so still, but they very gradually float and move across the sky. I love staring at clouds, especially when I’m out in nature and lying down on a fluffy piece of green grass to enjoy a nice summer day. I tried to capture this exact feeling in the piece “Summer picnic”. When I think of picnics, I also remember times of being with my family and friends enjoying the summer, so this piece also carries along these feelings.
The collection comes together with the title “Silver Linings,” which reminds us that every experience, change, and challenge holds the potential for beauty and growth. After all, every cloud has a silver lining.
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