In my current series, Wallflowers, I continue my exploration of long forgotten black and white photos of the 1930’s to 1960,s while attempting to resurrect these memories in a contemporary way. I paint these images with the subjects removed from their environment, focusing on the actions of the individual, while also stating the unimportance of said individual by cropping out the most defining feature of that person; the eyes. By cropping out the eyes, I am making the person into “every person. The action of cropping the eyes out of the composition enables the viewer to take part in the painting by connecting with the familiar, allowing it to resonate with their subconscious, and creating a shared experience. My focus of this series is to explore the lighter side of memories, to relish in the good, the hopeful. Because of this, the figures are superimposed over monochromatic, “wallpapered” backgrounds, adding a sense of whimsy and color, to which all happy memories should have.