Ellis of Monterey, acrylic
Haley Armstrong
Carmel High School | Senior
My name is Hayley Armstrong, and I paint in order to capture people; my work is centered around those who make the greatest differences in my life, and painting them in a way that shows not only their appearance, but also their character. I primarily work with acrylic paint, and nearly always center my work around people, their identities, and the role they’ve played in my life.
“Ellis of Monterey” is the portrait of a person I met, not surprisingly, in Monterey. To clarify, they use they/them pronouns, so I will be referring to Ellis as such. Ellis and their friend had a small band in the heart of downtown Monterey, and I heard them play “Mad World” by Tears for Fears, and Ellis told me about their life story; they wanted to act, but fell into drugs and poverty. The most important thing they told me though, was that the simplicity of having nothing makes everything that happens, everything they do have, more meaningful.
My aim was to capture the brightness of Ellis, and the color of their personality; while they seemingly had next to nothing, they had all the energy to make up for it. They were witty, friendly, and gregarious, despite the circumstances. So often society looks upon those who have less with pity, but I wanted to capture the undeniable beauty of Ellis. I focused mainly on maintaining bright colors to match their character, while also maintaining a sense of realism. “Ellis of Monterey” captures what most people ignore in those who have less: a sense of humanity.