Slumber Party

Kat M.

Newsprint, Acrylic Paint, Colored Pencils

• Artist Statement

  Slumber Party is an acrylic self portrait representing my attempts to connect with my inner child after a traumatic upbringing. My older version’s inability to touch the younger’s stuffed animal represents how, even though I am aware of my younger self, I struggle to understand her as part of my current identity outside of an idealized, nostalgic vision. The scene is set in my childhood bedroom, surrounded by oversized stuffed animals (as toys always seem larger when you’re younger) to convey a sense of comfort, since it was one of the few places I felt I could truly act my age. I used heavyweight acrylics with a blue-toned underpainting to tie my colors together and contribute to the painting’s soothing tone. Later, I used colored pencils to refine patchy spots and establish the stuffed animals’ textures.

• Creative Statement

  Creativity is what drives me to create art.