Trust Fall
This is an acrylic and oil painting on gallery-wrapped canvas, it's 24 inches tall by 18 inches wide.
Meaning:
When I was 14 I fell backwards from a tree on purpose.It was a trust fall exercise where I climbed a tree and fell into the arms of 10 strangers I had just met.
It was a team-building exercise that I was terrified to do, but as soon as I did it and survived to tell the tale, something in me changed forever.
My parents had sent me to this academic camp in North Carolina that was known for helping students to achieve higher self-esteem and confidence in themselves.
During the session I did zip lining, I climbed rock walls, even karate chopped through a piece of thick wood with my bare hand. This experience helped me see that if I put my mind to it, I could do it- especially with trusting and supporting friends by my side cheering me on.
Looking back, this camp shaped the woman I eventually became. It lead me to become authentic, confident and sincere in my life and in my work.
This painting and its new series is a trust fall on my hard work, I need to trust my process to make good art, and test the boundaries to push my work even further.