Post 4: Maria Ramos

My art is driven by my own pursuit of happiness. I paint for myself, and the act of creating is my own reward. If people connect to my work, awesome! If they don’t, that’s equally valid because opinions are subjective, and that should be respected. My paintings are a reflection of myself, capturing my emotions and experiences of the moment I picked up a brush. While some may interpret my female figures as a statement of female empowerment, I simply like painting myself; nothing more, nothing less. I hope that through my art, the viewers can gain a glimpse into my authentic self. My primary goal isn’t to change the world, but to find solace and healing through painting. Painting is a way for me to process intense emotions that’s accompanied by my untreated manic depression (I don’t want help). My work often depicts my characters experiencing—sadness, loneliness, chaos, and mania, which serves as a visual record of my internal and mental struggles. Each piece is a fragment of my journey in life. If my art offers comfort or resonates with someone facing similar challenges, that’s awesome! Connecting with an audience is not my intention when I start a painting. Ultimately, I hope my work sparks curiosity and encourages viewers to question, “What is wrong with this lady?” Whether someone is captivated or not, my intention is not to dictate their emotional response. My art is an unfiltered visual diary of what goes on in my mind.

"Monsters" is inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's Shub-Nigurath who is a perverse deity. In his story, "The Last Test", she actually has black tentacles with slime-dripping mouths. In my interpretation, since I'm sometimes manic, I made the tentacles bright and colorful to show my different moods. Of course, this is just backstory.

"Nightmare" was inspired by "Monsters" and I just added to it. The scene is a nightmare where I'm trying to destroy the demons in my head. This piece is not finished.

"Morrigan" is a Celtic goddess of war, death, and fate. I clashed it with another otherworldly being known as Endsinger from Final Fantasy XIV. Her motto is, "To exist is to suffer."

"Elvira" An Elvira homage.

"Donut Girl" was made in a time of semi-peace and semi-happiness in my life. I really loved donuts. There is isn't anything else to it. Now, I have to live with the aftermath of burning off the pounds.