Destiny Blackwell

Those Who Shaped Me

Time spent in solitude, in these last several months, has encouraged reflection and admiration for the people in my life. I am realizing how much my family and friends have supported my artistic journey and development of who I have become. Just like tree rings, the relationships I've developed with these people have formed throughout years. Some of the people who I've chosen for this project have been in my life a very long time and some of them for a relatively short period. Though these relationships vary in length of time, they have been the ones to push me to do my best and step outside of my comfort zone.

Each painting is completed with oil paints on round Basswood slices with the natural bark still intact. Wood is a beautiful surface that lends itself for paintings. I chose to paint on wood because of the patterned rings that are left after being cut. I have left the backgrounds unpainted to show the events that the tree went though in its life. Growth rings show the age of the tree and are a record of the weather that occurred each year. My paintings on wood symbolize how my selected sitters have helped me grow throughout the years of my life and through the good and the bad.

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Artwork list:

"Mitchal"
9 x 11
Oil on Wood

"Taylor"
9 x 11
Oil on Wood

"Grandma"
9 x 11
Oil on Wood

"Pop"
9 x 11
Oil on Wood

"Dad"
9 x 11
Oil on Wood

"Cheyenne"
9 x 11
Oil on Wood

"Rachel"
9 x 11
Oil on Wood

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Alexis Walker
Kismet