In the Making: Planning the Next Artwork

Capturing the essence of the myth of Echo and how it connects with my own mind

So far in this collection, I have three pieces that reflect a combination of family members, their struggles and traumas and how that affects the experience of the people they create. What part do families play in the lives of the people closest to them? Some things are out of our control, and others aren't, but the consequences are very real and manifest in others. I've chosen Greek myth as a conduit. They make the connections easier for me to section off, and help me digest different aspects of the archetypes within my small world. In and of themselves, they are also a large, dysfunctional family.

In the studio with two other works in progress for the collection

A model is coming to my studio this Friday to help me with my next piece in a series of works. I've been working on an idea for a composition that reflects the sensation of what feels like an inescapable situation - escape from the mind.

Connection Between myth and Memory

In my upcoming piece, I’ll be drawing inspiration from the Greek myth of Echo. For those unfamiliar, Echo was a nymph cursed to only repeat the last words spoken to her. Her story speaks to the experience of being trapped in repetition, caught in an endless loop, unable to break free.

This segment of the myth resonates deeply with my own experience of ruminating thoughts. I often find myself dwelling on past events (sometimes from decades ago) that replay in my mind, over and over again. No matter how much time passes, it’s as though I’m unable to let go of those memories and the emotions tied to them. They creep up and replay with the 'could have, would have, should have' script.

For me, this repetitive thinking has been a weight, especially because it prevents me from living fully in the present and slows down progress. Instead of making space for new thoughts, my mind remains cluttered with the negative memories.

Giving it Form

When thinking of a new piece, I realized that I wanted to visually explore this experience since it is constantly with me. My goal is to represent this feeling of being stuck, endlessly repeating the same thoughts, and to bring that to life in a way that’s both personal and reflective.

The process of visualizing this feels strange. I’m uncertain whether it will help alleviate the burden of these ruminations, or if it will deepen them by focusing on the very thing I’m trying to break free from. Regardless, I believe it’s worth exploring. Art has always been a way for me to confront difficult emotions and thoughts, and I’m curious to see how this piece will help me process this ongoing mental struggle.

The connection between Echo’s myth and my experience with rumination is not just about the repetition itself, but also the sense of being trapped, unable to move forward because of the weight of the past. In my painting, I want to explore this visual metaphor, trying to capture the heavy, cyclical nature of these thoughts.