James Mellor

I enjoy using a variety of media, often experimenting with distinctive styles and tones. I use photographic images as inspiration for paintings. Using visual images to relate to day-to-day issues that are often difficult for people to express and comprehend, such as mental health, diversity of social anxiety, and how people could reflect on themselves and others in their lives. Creating a non-singular vision; each work could relate to various concepts or themes, which can equally stand on their own while connecting to a bigger stale.

The portrait is positioned as smart, depicting visually as special, and the stance of inspiration with a feeling of wisdom that is added with multiple forms of scattered sunflowers with a lone flower in the portrait chest pocket as a metaphor for a heart. The artist’s experience of celebration which most individuals would be happy and in joy celebrating their successful degree and achievement. At first visual looks happy in the period of the artist’s life. However, looking under the surface there is more to the situation. The slight smile on the face contrasted with a hidden sadness you can feel in the eyes as those the face is reflected as a mask. The juxtaposition between constant motifs of happiness from sunflowers and a busy movement in the background mediate a sense of disappointment which leads to an enduring depression. As though underneath the surface

there ongoing battle in life.

TRANSITION

oil painting portrait

16 x 23 inches

2023

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