Jannelyn Santos

ART NOW S20 Professional Practices

Statement
This piece was originally part of a project about someone who inspires me. I drew inspiration and dedicated this piece to my Lola, or “grandma” in the Filipino language. She always encouraged me to nurture and cultivate my talents in the arts unconditionally, knowing that it was a missed opportunity for herself despite having a passionate affinity to fine arts as well. I have only recently embraced my artistic identity whole-heartedly thanks to her, and so I wanted to make this portrait of her. It is a collaborative piece, allowing both my Lola and myself to explore our own artistic styles without limitations. The background consists of her sketches of life in the Philippines, which are all drawn from memory. I went over these drawings with watercolor to bring her memories and dreams back to life, while including a wholesome Pixar-styled portrait of herself.