Anxiety : Pushing Against the Pull Description:

This is the first painting I did in a series of works that use Antelope Canyon in Arizona not just as a setting but one of the main subjects in my painting.  

I was immediately captivated by the natural beauty of these canyons and their sheer majesty.  Their brilliant oranges and earth tones are as welcoming and warm as they are awe-inspiring and other-worldy.  Antelope Canyon seemed like the perfect metaphor for living an anxious life:  the canyon represents both the beauty of life and the impending danger that life brings.  I wanted to explore the idea of overcoming anxiety and the canyon served as a well-suited companion for this challenge.  I also really liked the imagery of a rock climber braving the grand heights of the canyon to symbolize overcoming fear even against overwhelming odds.

I decided against using my own image in this piece because I really wanted to focus on the image of a professional rock climber and the grit it takes to experience fear and keep pushing through anyway.  The precarious position I painted the rock climber in accentuates the danger involved in the climb and the strength required to pull herself up over this daunting edge.

I added a whirlpool of water underneath the rock climber to add tension to the piece and act as a potential threat to her ability to overcome not just the rock face, but her own anxiety.  The chaotic water represents the lack of control living with anxiety brings and how it threatens to overwhelm those who struggle with it.  The turbulent water pulls the rock climber’s ropes taut and threatens to pull her in.  I added weights on her belt to represent how our own negative thoughts can prevent us from pushing forward to higher ground and better vantage points.  

However, this painting is not about succumbing to the pull of the water, it is about pushing through even when you can’t clearly see where your next foothold is.