Fall by Samantha Christian
Oil Painting
9x9
 
In outgrowing the roots of my childhood, I found myself tangled within an overwhelming amount of newness that did not feel natural. Artwork offered familiarity in a life that opposed everything I had grown used to. I was living two lives; one that was clinging to the comfort of the known, and one that wanted to explore every unfamiliar path that appeared. I felt fractured, as if I was split into two and neither half felt right. Through the consistent act of making, I reconciled the two identities I couldn’t seem to mesh for years and unearthed the sense of self I thought had been lost amidst the chaos of maturing.

“Fall” is the third oil painting in a series of five that helped me process the tumultuous emotions accompanying my first three years in college. I had completed all five paintings before deciding on their order, choosing to work on them as I worked on myself and ordering them to fit a visual narrative that aligned with my lived experience.
 
About Samantha Christian:
Sam Christian is a Senior Art Education major at SUNY New Paltz who takes special interest in painting and ceramics. Most of her personal work contains themes involving the natural world and the exploration of self, but she also enjoys painting pet portraits and taking inspiration from the nature around her.
 
IG: @art_by_samchristian