Happiness

VIS 106A - Spring 2021

Jazmin Estrada-Gomez, By the Lake

2021, acrylic on paper, 18 x 24 in.

Jessica Kamman, My Happiness

Oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in.

Xuerong He, Ballet

2021, acrylic on paper, 18 x 24 in.

Jialin Ruan, Camping

2021, acrylic on paper, 18 x 24 in.

Gabriela Schrader, The Absence

2021, acrylic on mixed media, 18x24 inchesWhen thinking of the word happiness and what came to mind, I was confused when I drew a blank. However, it is no surprise since this quarter, coupled with quarantine and the stress of my fast-approaching future, that my mental health has declined and my depression increased. It has almost felt as if there was something, my inner monster perhaps, inside my mind keeping me from happiness or keeping it away. It was terrifying as I was feeling a level of sadness and thinking thoughts I never had before due to the absence of happiness.

Miles Forrester, 2001

acrylic on paper, 24 x 18 inches

Yitong Du

A girl standing in front of the door just finished sticking the Fu character. In China it's a very traditional thing to do while in the New year, red can be found everywhere during Chinese Spring Festival and other joyous occasions.

Denise Cruz Navarro, Playa de Perritos

Acrylic on paper, 18 x 24 in.Description: I painted my five dogs in a beautiful and fun island paradise. I wanted this painting to embody fun through the feelings of a summer beach party. I chose a beach setting because I think tropical aesthetics go hand in hand with the feeling of happiness. I matched the role of each dog on the beach with their personality and vibe. Other inspirations for this piece were Spongebob, that one beach scene in Despicable Me 2, and The Ketchup Song (Spanish version). The painting is painted in a style that I found very youthful and childlike. I chose to stray away from realism in order for the viewer to feel this scene took place in a paradise outside the realm of our own world. Overall, I hope that viewers of my painting gain a sense of fun and joy from this piece.

Hannah Gunasekara, Delight in the Universe

2021, acrylic on paper, 18 x 24 in.Description: The representation of a few types of happiness appear here. The joy and pleasure of existing in the physical world within moments of life are embedded in our relationship to the joy that Mother Nature brings. The ocean waves represent the visceral joy of the senses. The other feeling of happiness shown here is a sense of fulfillment and meaning in life. It presents the interaction and connection between each other. The exploration and discovery of ourselves as individuals and our collective consciousness and the combination of both, play into our sense of life fulfillment and joy for living. Note the theme of the feminine because of the natural intuition and interconnectedness that exists between women, and the ideas of birth and rebirth in the physical and the metaphysical happenings of the universe.

Eleanor Liu, In that Moment

2021, acrylic on canvas, 36 x 36 in.Description: Happiness is how you collect and view the moments of everyday ordinary life. It could refer to something as simple as a joyful meal being generated during the day. It could refer to the vivid patterning of a kitchen table going about on its own paths, or a jubilant, dancing “party” amongst the loaf of bread, cake, jug of orange juice, and cup of coffee. Ironically, however, in that happiness, an atmosphere of looming pressure in the background manifests and finds itself coexisting within the same frame as its nemesis.

Raul Noriega

Sara Kian, One Bite of Joy

2021, acrylic on canvas, 18 x 24 in.

Jiaao Yu, Impermanence

2021, acrylic on canvas, 18 x 24 in.

Giovanna Hubbard, Happiness Is A Chilled Glass of Rosé

Acrylic on Canvas, 18 x 24 in.

Thuyduyen Jenny Tran, When I am on Stage, I Finally Feel Like Myself

2021, Acrylic on Canvas, 30 x 40 in.In a quote to NPR, Mitski says, “You know what's really weird is when I am on stage, I finally feel like myself. I finally feel like I can be myself. And maybe that's because I'm pretending, or I'm performing.” This piece, under the theme of happiness, explores the role of performance in obtaining happiness and to feel whole in one’s skin. This piece is inspired by the aspirational composition of the socialist realism style, and is a self portrait featuring contemporary musicians such as Arca and Sophie.

Angelina Yena Kim, Moon Dance

2021, 24 x 18 in., acrylic on canvasI describe my work in the way of which happiness abides to what we see in the world. The approach to my painting is an extending mark to fulfill my memory, an everlasting joy.This is a painting of the winter solstice night sky I saw while stargazing at Mojave Desert. When I looked up at the sky to catch a breath, stars filled up my entire view and left me speechless for a what it felt like eternity. The colors were vivid and clear, as if I was looking through in awe of a glittery magical orb.Mainly based on my interpretation of that night's scene, my art piece shows the dreamy night cascading over my canvas, with the Earth's elements I visualized through the momentum of the optical illusions. From the desolated dark, my eyes got adjusted to the starlight, local colors, shooting stars, figures, and silhouettes of natural objects. From the moment I left the desert, I still keep dreaming the imagery in that scene. I still dream of it today.

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