Mon Nouveau Monde
Nova D.
Acrylic paint and alcohol marker on wood.
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“Mon Nouveau Monde” is part of my series exploring the theme of moving between countries at a young age. This piece is about my family’s move from Paris to Berkeley when I was six years old. Through this painting, I wanted to represent the vision of a child adapting to a new place. I explore how mundane life continues–we still eat every day, we go to school, work, sleep. However in the eyes of a child, things stand out. For me, the new surroundings I observed were expressed through art. I started this painting by sanding a 3.25’ x 2.5’ piece of wood and painting it with gesso. I sketched with charcoal, and followed with acrylic paint. I use broad shapes and volumes, then add detail. Finally, I painted white representing sheets of paper, and used alcohol markers to add drawings of the Golden Gate Bridge.
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Creativity is everywhere: gardens, my lunch, the Berkeley Hills, and my childhood building blocks. It is how I’ve learned to move through the world. Creativity allows for connection--within ourselves, with each other, and between communities. It means freedom to explore new thoughts and feelings, embracing our inner child.