Initially when starting this class/project my concept was focused on the invasiveness of thoughts, past trauma, etc. and how it can interfere with life. The idea was that new life created, new experiences, and new happiness can be overwhelmed with past life, past experiences and past sadness. As a woman I thought I would focus on more of the feminine experience or feminine story because while in the midst of growing a new life and feeling and experiencing the happiness of a new pregnancy, sometimes past trauma can effect your mindset. The concept changed after a few attempts at creating something and I became more focused on the feeling of invasiveness. How environments, landscapes and even buildings can be overtaken by an invasive species overnight sometimes. I researched a few plants and animals classified as invasive and I was more comfortable in the moment with a plant species called Kudzu which can overtake an environment by growing several feet in a day.
In the last few weeks I had been thinking about where I grew up in the desert and where most of my traumatic experiences took place. In the past few years since I've left the desert, AZ has been over taken by an invasive plant/weed called Globe Chamomile which has a very interesting to look at flower but has become a big problem throughout the state. I included this into a final watercolor painting I did of an eye. I started to focus on separate facial features (mostly eyes) rather than a portrait and invade it with kudzu vines and add color from the globe chamomile.
I become more interested and motivated once I started adding color to anything I was doing. Also when I stopped trying to focus on the realism of anything I felt freer to experiment. I had a hard time letter go of a drawing I liked to add color or anything else. Once I just did it and realized I can always draw something new or better, I was able to get more done. I think it was getting past the feeling of being vulnerable and just keep going.
I also plan on re-visiting the experimentation of embroidery because I really loved how it looked amongst the drawings, I just need to find something that works.
Rose of Sharon and lily of the valley were two other invasive flowering plants that I had an interest in and will probably add to more things later.
