Through my work I try to evoke feelings of nostalgia and comfort, as well as display the fragility of youth. I don’t want people to think of the bad or negative parts of their youth, but bring up memories of the simplest time in most people’s lives. My work is typically dainty and utilizes soft colors to bring up feelings of warmth and joy. In my piece, “Growing Up” I feature my childhood stuffed animal “Piggy.” I believe the use of flowers and animals in my pieces is a representation of childhood. Like flowers, children need to be cared for and loved. They’re beautiful and fragile, so I see parallels between the two. The flowers around Piggy emphasize how precious he is to me. Piggy had a big impact on my childhood, so much so that he is also depicted in my piece, “Building Blocks.” This piece utilizes brighter colors in order to create a playful, childlike piece. The deer in my piece, “Deer in Headlights” is used to represent the fragility of children. Like a deer, kids often get frightened and run away. This piece is meant to depict those similarities. Your childhood has a large impact on who you are in the future, so understanding and reflecting upon one’s upbringing is vital to understanding who a person is.