Ikea Shark Dreams

This piece I made was a self-portrait made with acrylic paint and sharpie.

The inspiration for this painting was wanting to make an art piece that felt calm and reassuring. Recently, I've been dealing with a lot of chronic pain in my hands and have lost the ability to draw consistently for the last year. I've recently felt that my own life has been out of control, spiraling into chaos. This piece was a resemblance to the calm moments I have waking up in the mornings before I start to become aware of my chronic pain again. It's moments like this that make me feel like a kid again, and sleeping is my comforting escape from reality. Thus, I wanted to make this warm painting, as if just barely waking up, but still asleep. That is my best time every day and I made this painting as a reminder that not everything is painful right now, and that there are some comforting moments, even if fleeting.

The process started with me working with a reference photo and then building up layers of acrylic from an acrylic wash to the final contour lines. I wanted the portrait to feel playful, so I used a lighter pink for the outline in the hair and kept all the colors moderately warm even in the darkest colors. Afterward, I felt that the portrait was empty, and not exactly me. So I added the yellow stars onto the portrait as if they were little stickers, making the piece feel overall more like a daydream.

I personally haven't been able to make a painting like this in a year because of my medical problems, but it brings me joy and comfort to see it, and I hope it comforts you as well, even in your darkest times.