Paintings

My Makeup Bag is acrylic on canvas depicting, as the title suggests, the contents of my makeup bag. These are products that I use regularly to improve the appearance of my skin generally, to hide 'imperfections' such as spots, dark circles, red patches, and lines such as foundation and concealer. Similarly My Bathroom Shelf shows, you guessed it, my bathroom shelf, and all the products it houses including makeup remover, scrubs, and cleansing cloths. These are products I use daily in the attempt to keep my skin smooth. 

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I produced these paintings in order to give the audience an insight into my relationship with my skin by presenting my routine which focuses on improving the appearance of my skin. For me, producing these paintings forced me to think about the money, effort, and time these routines take up each day, and question why I actually do it; is it because I want to, or because I feel I have to? Of course we should all take the time to take care of our skin and body, but is all of it necessary? Do we know if these steps and products work as they say they do, or do we just use them because we've been somewhat brainwashed by the constant unavoidable marketing? I criticise this bombardment of marketing but then surround myself with the brands that are culpable. 

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Whilst my aim for these paintings was to encourage an audience to reflect on their own routines and relationship with their skin, I found the self-reflection throughout this process very valuable, being forced to question my own behaviour and actually take the time to research product ingredients and their benefits in order to only use what is beneficial rather than buying everything brands tell me to. It has also made me realise that it is inevitable that my skin will change, in fact it's perfectly natural. Whilst I still use several products to take care of my skin, I've realised I can use fewer and cheaper products, and I have found that I have started wearing makeup less, it has become something I do because I want to, not because I have to cover up my skin to look better. Furthermore, I have started to use the time that I dedicate to my skincare routine to appreciate my skin, be thankful for its protection rather than sit and criticise each inch, picking out every wrinkle and blemish.