I am interested in using surrealist techniques to develop deep and personal expressions and embedding the meaning of those expressions into abstraction. I started by writing the phrase “self-care” with my non-dominant hand as a way to prime my mind into thinking about what self-care means. I then created an automatic drawing with my non-dominant hand, which I used as a reference point for a sketch. I have abstracted that sketch to use in both drawings.
The exploration of self-care has caused some introspection on what I consider self-care to mean for myself. I identify setting boundaries with others and having alone time to recharge as ways I can practice self-care. I have also recognized that reaching out and trying to connect with others is important in my self-care practice.
I used mark making that invokes feelings of calmness and quietness in my mind. The repetition of patterns feels like a meditative practice for me, and I find myself in a state of relaxed focus. I used a variety of drawing tools because I think that art making as a form of self-care can take on a variety of forms.
I hope the viewer can connect to the idea of finding focus and relaxation in mark making and see that self-care practices can include art making in its various forms. I also hope that the viewer can see that sometimes self-care can include finding a balance between having time to oneself and having time to reach out and connect to others.