TY - GEN T1 - Frustration AU - McGill, Keleigh AB - I want my work to encourage others to start a healthy conversation about the impacts of mental illness on our society today. By illustrating my personal experience with anxiety and depression in “Faced with Anxiety,” I show others that they are not alone in this battle with mental illness. As an artist, my anxiety has been heightened at times, but it has also given me the opportunity to use my art to speak to others who are also impacted by mental illness. I work with materials that could be deemed atypical in parts of the fine art world. I choose to do this in my artwork because my concepts and imagery could also be deemed atypical. The found materials I use in my paintings have a story of their own which adds to the importance of their presence in the artwork. My artwork can portray a sense of familiarity in the imagery I have painted as well as in the commonly found materials incorporated in my art. “Faced with Anxiety,” is one of my more personal works where I illustrate an issue I battle with every day. In my other artwork I choose to explore topics that society often forgets about and neglects to talk about. My previous work is often inspired by science where I represent the beauty found and forgotten within this world. I also enjoy the exploration in the world of portraiture where I can capture a person’s story or emotion in my artwork. This show is the combination of both, the exploration of portraits as well as my determination to create conversation be introducing important scientific information. I have challenged myself with this series as it is my first time painting myself into the work. This show is very important to me; however, I hope it is just as impactful on my viewer. I encourage others to have the confidence to speak out and talk about their personal struggles with mental health. “Faced with Anxiety,” has pushed me mentally as well as artistically. I truly get to showcase the skills I have gained as a student at the University of North Georgia. Many are facing a battle with mental illness. I choose to remember the bad moments as I represent these emotions in this series. For these low moments are the reason I have to keep going as an artist, student, young adult, and human. KW - Frustration KW - Portrait KW - Anxiety DA - 2019-4-4 PY - 2024 ER -