"return to self
Who knew an old sketchbook doodle would inspire me years later? after a rough breakup, I found myself flipping through old sketchbooks for inspiration and this drawing just really resonated with me. I was channeling strong phoenix-like energy during this process because I needed to prove to myself that I was still the artist I said I was. I wasn’t creating consistently and feeling discouraged about the lack of motivation I was experiencing. this was the first time I had experimented with a textured background, which was a challenge in itself to get the coloration the way I wanted: it took about 7 layers of sponging on color. I stepped out of my comfort zone and it paid off. painting this piece was a large part of my healing process in 2021.
“preserving the light”
Once I cracked the creative block I was in, I was sketching almost every day, and this piece came to me as I fell asleep one night. I wanted to keep this sponged background theme going and create what I envisioned an eclipsed sky to look like. As I navigated this chapter of growth, I was channeling the integration of present-day me with the future me I always dreamed of. how were we still alike? by preserving the light within, that sparkle inside younger Yanni’s eyes. growth is uncomfortable, change isn’t easy, but by holding dear to what makes you you will always prove worth it.
“writer’s block”
This was the epitome of covid quarantine for me. the daily monotony of being in the house and not really having a social life was taking a toll on my creativity. so, I created a piece representing that inner conflict: wanting to create vs. not knowing what to create vs. being frustrated that you’re not creating.
“the enigmatic mind”
A visual representation of how my mind works. this piece came to me in the middle of my sleep and I had to quickly grab my iPad to sketch it before it left me. my largest canvas painting to date, I found inspiration from trying to articulate how my ideas channel through my mind into physical art. it’s meant to be viewed from any angle, as there are many faces swimming within the composition- I deal with a lot of mental chatter from different versions of me that live inside my head. I was reminded how important it is for me to channel my precision not on how the idea is conceived, but how it’s executed. lines, shapes, colors & composition are my visual language and they provide me with so much freedom to communicate non-verbally.
“the way i see it”
Solo mural at bonfireATL 2022 – I had a conversation with a friend who asked me “Where do you get your inspiration from?” I realized I had to think about how to answer that. I thought back to this scene in doctor strange 2 where he and America were falling through different dimensions, and their entire beings underwent a myriad of visual & physical changes. that was how I channeled my ideas, in the best way I could describe it. so then I thought about how I wanted to articulate that vision and this baby was born. I’ve always used my glasses as a signature moniker in my work and this was the perfect opportunity to incorporate them in this mural. I wanted to represent the movement of the inter-dimensional travel that my creative visions experience on their way to this earthly plane.