Kate Woodliff O'Donnell
Artist Statement
“My current series of work glorifies the tasty pleasures in life, from junk food and dessert to corner store sandwiches and little indulgences. The crinkled wrapper of a lunch box snack, folded ham slices, glops of jelly on a PB&J or the burst of color a red onion brings to a sandwich - these are so easily overlooked and taken for granted. My goal is to highlight these simple moments so the viewer may take a moment to appreciate them as art and nostalgia. I use Prismacolor(colored pencil) as my medium because of the high saturation of color possible and the intense planning of composition necessary for a bold, realistic quality result. I enjoy noticing every detail of line and color, how each drawing grows from the initial grisaille process through the layering of color, adding of detail, and burnishing and softening to achieve a seamless blending of color and a sharp and bright final image. Vibrant realism from a humble start is why I am passionate about the process. I donate a portion of sales from my current work to organizations that aid in fighting eating disorders. This gives my work more meaning and gives me much motivation to expand this series.” As a contemporary culture, we all have a relationship with food past and present.
