Reminiscence
The series, Reminiscence, has black joy as the overall arch. When I think about joy, I think about my black family and how happy they get when telling stories about the past. I think about my black friends and how we talked for hours about things that happened in middle and high school. And I think of my black peers on social media when we talk about something we think is specific to us, but when speaking, we realize we all relate in some capacity.
The stories my family, friends, and social media peers tell inspired me to make art about my own stories and the memories that bring me joy. Every painting depicts something that happened in my life over the past 24 years that helped shape who I am.
I am grateful to the South Carolina Arts Commission for funding my new series' first five watercolor paintings. And to Ce Scott-Fitts on the mentorship throughout the grant process.
Just Lookin’ Out Of The Window
TJust lookin' out of the window is a painting about bonding, surprisingly. It depicts the feeling many get when watching television with older family and friends, whether Parents or grandparents. In my family, older shows like Good Times, The Jeffersons, and Sanford & Son get played often. My siblings and I have seen those shows so many times we can quote them on the spot and know what the episode is about as soon as we see the first scene. We are often bored and longing to watch literally anything else. It wasn't until I followed an Instagram account, @embracingblackculture, that I realized this was a universal experience. It wasn't just my family. On social media, we have lively conversations about our families, the shows we watch, and how we can never get away from watching these shows.
This painting was made possible by the SC Emerging Artist Grant funded by the SC Arts Commission.
Whose Turn Is It pt.1 & pt.2
"Whose turn is it" diptych (a painting made of two parts) is two paintings in my new reminiscence series. The series relates to the overall concept of memories. Specifically, memories as it pertains to black life and happiness. Playing cards is something we do to pass the time. Spades is a prominent example of black culture's card games. Uno is what my generation plays, a game I consider top-tier for the culture. These pieces are about an Uno game looking at both perspectives; each player can win the game. But whose turn is it?
Breakfast At Granny’s
Breakfast at Granny's is a painting I hold near and dear. It's one the majority of people can relate to. It shows three kids getting ready to eat breakfast. Grandma is in the background stirring the pot of grits she made for breakfast. In the painting, viewers see my grandma's kitchen, and the three kids represent me and my two cousins, Khalaya and Desmond. The kids are in Oversized shirts because sometimes spending the night at grandma's was a spur-of-the-moment decision. At the time of writing this, The house is about 32 years old, and so many family members have moved in and out of it; I'm sure the walls have stories. Most importantly, we have stories and so many stories we call back to take place in that kitchen. Most of our stories start with our tired grandma coming home from the third shift just in time to cook us breakfast.
This painting was made possible by the SC Emerging Artist Grant funded by the SC Arts Commission.
This is the last image we took with our grandma in her kitchen, On her birthday, just two weeks before she passed In November 2023.
We miss her everyday <3
Jumpin’ Jumpin’
Jumpin' Jumpin' is a painting depicting girls getting ready to go out for a night on the town. It is something everyone goes through at some point in their lifetime. This painting, however, is based on my Aunt Shelley. She's usually the life of the party. She mostly went out with her twin Kelly and a friend in the early days. I was a one-year-old when they graduated high school and began their club days. Before going out, getting an OOTD picture was a must and still is today. All my life, I watched my Aunts get ready for the club and was often awake to see the aftermath. My Aunt Kelly has gotten calm with the partying over the years, but Aunt Shelley is still known to be a hoot in the club. Watching her as a child, I just knew I wanted to be like her when I grew up. I'm grown, and throughout college, I quickly realized that party life wasn't for me. But my siblings and cousins party just enough so I don't have to.
This painting was made possible by the SC Emerging Artist Grant funded by the SC Arts Commission.
Let The Church Say Good Night
Let the Church Say Goodnight is a piece showing a luxury some of my generation didn't get to have. In the painting are a brother and sister in Church. She is sleeping on his shoulder while he pretends to read a hymnal book. It is an activity I can call back to often. In church, you are supposed to be alert and pay attention; when you are young, Church is the last place you want to be. You were probably playing video games all night, and you wanted to sleep till about noon. At that age, the downfall was that you must get up, put on your Sunday best, and pay attention to the word. You can't, as my dad would say, "rest your eyes." Your best bet of doing that was during prayer.😉 We didn't have Sunday school at my church, so it was boring, making it harder to fight sleep. One thing you could bet on, though, was the elders allowing the little kids to go to sleep. The best thing to do to stay awake is to read the Hymnal.
Of course, there's no picture proof because phones weren't allowed. Well, at one point, we didn't even have phones. 🤦🏾♀️
This painting was made possible by the SC Emerging Artist Grant funded by the SC Arts Commission.
Black Effect
There's something about birthdays I love. My piece Black Effect speaks to the trope the media likes to display: the unhappy single-parent household. From my experience, birthdays and holidays (but mostly birthdays) are the one day when everyone puts all hatefulness aside and focuses on joy. I went through it as my parents were separated my whole life. And it is something I see family members and friends go through. Now that I focus on joy, I want to depict nothing but happiness. In this painting, you can't see that this child is raised in a single-parent household. You can't tell that the parents haven't spoken in months. You see parents showing up for their children, offering nothing but love and light.
This painting was made possible by the SC Emerging Artist Grant funded by the SC Arts Commission.
