"akwarela: petty peminist poetry and paintings" by Melinda Luisa de Jesús
akwarela: petty peminist poetry and paintings Melinda Luisa de Jesús Summer 2023 ARTIST STATEMENT; akwarela: petty peminist poetry and paintings During my spring break in March 2023 I decided to dive into painting, something I’ve always wanted to explore but felt stuck by my own inadequacy. I’m the only one in my family who can’t paint or draw, and as a kid I eschewed visual art and threw myself into music and literature. This time around I committed to painting every day and consciously embraced the concept of beginner’s mind. I took a few online painting classes, starting with acrylics, but learned quickly that abstract watercolor florals was my medium. Soon painting daily became something I looked forward to, and I started gaining more skills and confidence as I embraced the idea of flow. Eileen saw a few of my early attempts and suggested I consider juxtaposing my rather trenchant poetry to these delicate paintings, and thus this exhibition started taking shape. The title ref...