Nostalgia Makes me Gluttonous

In my painting “Nostalgia Makes me Gluttonous” I used fruit snacks as a symbol for overindulging in memorializing the past. Before making this painting I had a pack of fruit snacks for the first time in a long time. After tasting the first gummy I was transported back in time to being 8 years old with my cousins eating fruit snacks in my grandparent’s basement. Wanting to stay within this memory I ate the entire packet at once. Realizing the wrapper was empty I wished I had more fruitcakes and for it to be 2015 again. In my attempts to grasp a fading memory I had wasted the present moment by not savoring the gummies. I think nostalgia can be your best friend and your worst enemy. It often causes me to dwell on the past and wish for things I can no longer relive which in turn dampens the present. I utilized bright colors to capture the texture of the gummies and the childhood memories they hold. I experimented with a "split image" painting as an attempt to mimic the way scrapbooks are collaged. This is often labeled as feminine art form that preserves memories.