“I’m not afraid to tell you my stories,” she said.
“Why be afraid? I didn't come here to be afraid… I’m still alive.”
Her multiple arm poses show that she is a "busy lady," one who is always moving, and very active in life. The size and layout of the canvas gives her space to move, while the newspaper and bible verses in the background reveal her religious outlook and love of reading. The pens in her hand and masked-off underlined phrases show her interaction with life and curiosity in the world.
At age 34 he was paralyzed. While “you can’t change it now," he “wouldn’t change anything.”
Playing cards in the background represent his love for card games, while the pose portrays his calm and humble personality. His smile and attentive eyes show that he is still in the present- he's still figuring out life and is planning for his future. In addition, his quiet pose shows that he is a good listener and patient to talk.
“We’re both of the same religious beliefs… we have the same goals, the same aspirations, the
same friends... (We have) overcome about all obstacles together.”
Two aspects of their life areemphasized: they are of Jehovah's Witness, and they are in love. Jehovah's Witness leaflets are collaged into the background to represent the way they met and their beliefs. In addition, I wanted to capture their love through they way they looked at each other. Bill always looked at Teri with great admiration, so I placed her canvas at a higher level. Two colors are prominent in this piece: yellow and pink. Yellow represents that happiness and contentedness they have with life, and pink represents their love for one another.
“I just wanted them to know… that we did a good job.”
“And if they know that you are behind them, then they will work even harder.”
Ruth is unique for the numerous jobs she has held throughout her life, in addition to her natural leadership abilities. The flow of images recreates a sense of following gazes, while the various emotions and poses represent the different roles she has held throughout her life. The printed fabric in the center is from an image of her father's shirt. Her father passed away when she was very young, and this was all she had to remember him by.
Randy describes himself as “happy-go-lucky,” a truly joyful spirit with a collection of life adventures to share.
Maps are collaged into the background, but only within his own form; within himself. The background is merely a blur of shapes and colors to represent it's lack of importance. His gaze looks beyond the world and leaves the audience to sense his imagination.
“Memories are great; (they) are our way of holding on to things that are dear… to us.
(They) can be held in our heart and lived forever.”
The background is a handwritten summary of his life story. It encompasses all aspects of his life since childhood, and reveals his focus on numerical figures. To emphasize this characteristic, I stamped numbers when mentioned, using a limited palette to express his disposition through emotional associations of color. His personality was not at all faded from his lifetime of adventures, so a clear, detailed image captures his identity and represents his involvement in life.
