I spent this semester creating my first ever series. The intention was to come up with a proposal for what I was planning on doing throughout the semester in terms of theme, imagery, process, and research. However, the process went a bit differently for me. I had started writing my proposal about my plan to study texture through paintings of still lives and random objects. By the time I started my first painting, though, my idea had already evolved into something completely different. I was taking a class called Sex and Cinema in the 20th Century, which discussed themes surrounding the taboos of sex, sexuality, female/male gaze, etc. and how they were portrayed throughout the 20th century in media. This inspired me to paint about it. I told myself, my idea will come to me after this painting, as I often learn the most through experience and process. I had an ad pop up on my phone telling me to take this body type quiz that was circling around the internet (I'd seen plenty of these before) where you answer questions about your shape and the quiz tells you what body shape you are in comparison to fruit/vegetables. It made me ask myself why women's bodies are compared to food but on a men's body type quiz they get scientific terms for what their "body type" is. It got me thinking about my sex and cinema class and whether or not the comparison of women to food, as both needed, strongly wanted, consumable and wasted was valid. From there on I explored this theme through a series of paintings depicting women and food. I specifically painted food that looked delectable and sweet, and women in a more sexual, objectified form to try and spark two considerably different reactions in viewers. Wayne Thiebaud was a big inspiration for me throughout this process. I loved his use of paint and his color palette. His paintings are almost addicting to look at, and I wanted to create that same feeling with my work. I specifically focused on using thicker paint, and colors/line that did not necessarily make sense but worked in the pieces. 

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Theme: Objectification of women in media 

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Visual Elements: nude women, desserts, fruit, pastel colors and vibrant highlights, cast shadows, and outlines. Strong use of white and violet. 

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Process: Worked mostly from photos, and composition a lot of times came from my own mind. I focused on adding many layers of paint and using white to my advantage to create the pastel palette. 

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Research: I researched many artists, the ones that inspired this work the most include: Wayne Thiebaud, Lucian Freud, and Alonsa Guevara