Oasis

For my final painting, I chose to do a portrait of my grandmother. She is sitting in the Thar Desert in India on the last trip that she took before being diagnosed with cancer. I think that this exact moment captures her lively and adventurous spirit, so I wanted to use it to create a memorial piece. I decided to take this picture and add in some objects that remind me of her. As an avid gardener and lover of bright colors, I wanted to add in some of her favorite flowers. I ended up choosing to add chrysanthemums, hydrangeas and orchids. I wanted to give them a sense of texture, so I used a lot of paint with each stroke and layered colors. I used them to frame and help build up the bottom half of the painting. With the composition and the colors used, I really want the audience to get a sense of liveliness and joy. Overall, I really enjoyed painting this colorful composition and combining different textures.