Ballerine et son Miroir

This painting depicts my memory of practising ballet as a child and what I imagine I would have been had I not switched ballet for figure skating.

As a child, I would admire the older ballerinas in my studio. They were in all the shows and danced so much better than any of us six-year-olds. Graceful, elegant and disciplined. This painting is how I imagined myself being one day.

Even though I stopped ballet a long time ago, it is still a huge part of who I am and what I strive to be - graceful, elegant and disciplined.

Using a palette knife allows me to make colors stand out and create bold strokes and shapes. The detailed yet simple smears complement the use of a paintbrush. I highlighted the wall with a light icy blue mixed with green as a way to show its stage lights in the distance and out of reach, representing the sometimes cut-throat environment of ballet.