“Liminal”
2018 // Watercolor with Acryla Gouache on Paper // 12” x 18”
“Liminal” is a painting I created in 2018 as part of my “Anamnesis” solo show at Arch Enemy Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This was my third solo show.
Plato's definition of "Anamnesis" encompasses the spirit of this series: that humans possess innate knowledge that is rediscovered through learning from personal experiences. The series of works were a culmination of the wisdom I had gained in the previous two years after leaving a cult religion, divorcing my husband, becoming a single mom with a 2 year old daughter, and experiencing the turbulent, but necessary change powered by instinct and lead by intuition. I felt I had gained the language since these events to create this series in order to continue the process of healing, understanding, and discovering human truths via visual form.
From this series of works, I took the opportunity to express the spiritual healing I had begun to experience. “Liminal” came from a place of personal ascension, when I chose to no longer allow the forces around me to determine the course of my life and my happiness. I accepted the person within how only wanted to reach the cosmos but must also remain rooted to reality.
“That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above.“
I wanted to be able to access the cosmos and reality at the same time, to exist in two worlds simultaneously. Balance could come from the liminal space in between, the space where the magic really happens, the space where humanity blossoms.
Additionally, I wanted to give a nod to the 7 chakras in my color palette, further representing wholeness and balance.
“Liminal” is one of my most powerful paintings. Compared to 2013’s “Fester,” it shows an entire world of growth in my journey. When both pieces are together, the connection is obvious, though at the time, this wasn’t intentional.
When I learned “Liminal” was one of the many paintings that had been scraped for AI image training, I wasn’t surprised. This is a painting that was very popular and was reposted in many places without my consent, including Pinterest, where many of my works were taken from. I can see her influence in images generated with my name, retrofitted into soulless slop for generative AI.
If you enjoy my work and would like a print of “Liminal” you can find those here in my shop.
Thank you for reading. My Substack is a place to write about my process, my journey as an artist, and other bits and bobs. Subscribing is free or you can pitch a little my way every month - no pressure whatsoever.
If you enjoy my work or wish to support my efforts to continue, check out these links below:
Subscribe to my newsletter for monthly updates on travel, markets, workshops, shop updates, etc.