Artist Statement

Frida Kahlo Assignment Artist Statement

I created an oil on canvas piece titled How It Used to Be. Although the piece was based on viewing Frida Kahlo’s show it does not mimic her style in any way. I do not particularly like Frida Kahlo’s art. I do however, like her story. The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Kahlo is her obsession with Diego Rivera and the pain the two of them went through together. He was, in a way, her weakness. My weakness is a boy I left back in Kansas when I came to school here in New Mexico. It was and continues to be incredibly hard. I created the image by putting down the yellow/white background first and then laying in the figures. I used quite a few warm colors in the piece to fit the theme of the happiness that once was. I used the assignment as a practice for a painting I’ll do at a later time. I think there are several weaknesses to this piece and overall i don’t like the finished product. Maybe it is because i’ve looked at this image for so long I can’t stand it. Or maybe it’s the flaws in the craftsmanship of the piece that bother me. Either way I am not pleased.