Most of my work comes from my own experiences in one way or another. As a quiet person, I’m drawn to art’s ability to show my inner world to others without words. It gives me the opportunity to force the viewer to see things in exactly the way I see them, and to feel what I feel. Of course, this never works all the time—different people often have unique interpretations of the same work. This too drives me to create. In making my paintings I develop and refine my own view of my ideas, and in hearing other people’s in- terpretations I can see myself reflected. I’m always learning.

As for my choice of subject, I’m very interested in light. What started as a childish love for shiny things has blossomed into an appreciation for the strange way we interact with the world. How is it that all of the visual experiences I will ever have, from the most beautiful to the most terrible, are just reflected rays hitting my eyes? I once again strive to show the beauty I experience in my life by painting it as I see it.

This is also why I tend to paint more naturalistically, frequently using my own photographs as a reference. In showing my own experience I want to romanticize my life. It’s cliché, but painting something helps me appreciate the smaller moments that matter to me, but are easy to gloss over. I can use my painting as a meditation on something I love. When the emotions are less positive, this lets me ground myself in reality and give myself space to feel. Painting lets me bring others into my world, and helps me to step out of it into theirs.

— Clare Earnest