BitterSweet, acrylic
Kayleigh McCullough
Pacific Grove High School | Senior
To me, art is about having fun and not taking myself too seriously. My first memories of enjoying art are of coloring books. I always used to add my own art to the printed pages. Art is an outlet for me to express myself through shapes and colors, as well as serving as a major stress reliever. I always keep my old art to look back at how much I've improved with painting techniques and my ability to show angles and proportion.
My favorite materials to work with are acrylic paint and charcoal. I love to create pieces inspired by retro colors and motifs. Specifically, I really like to incorporate aspects of the Atomic Era of Design (1940-1963), notorious for the space age symbols and elements of Art Deco. This painting focuses on exploring the concept of nostalgia as a liminal space. I based the background of my painting on an older piece I completed a couple years ago. I wanted to portray how the past can be romanticized. I incorporated more abstract design elements to contrast with the childlike cartoon style of the lemonade carton. The lemonade and brightly colored citrus express a childhood remembered as more vibrant and glamorous than it actually was, while the patterns surrounding it represent a warped perception of the past.