Self Portrait

Painting

Amélie Kelley-Hatch - 1st Year, Environmental Studies Major & Art  Minor 

"I made this self portrait in 2025, a year after having cardiac surgery to resolve a heart defect, which is why I have a large scar across my back. This piece was inspired by the style of Alphonse Mucha, who popularized the art nouveau movement in France in the 1890s. Like Mucha, I used watercolors and colored pencils for my portrait. I also used fine line pens to outline certain elements. I chose to include my scar subvert the typical focus of art nouveau portraits on women who fit traditional beauty standards, like smooth, unblemished skin. I am proud of what my scar represents and I believe that all women should value what makes them unique, even if it doesn't adhere to traditional, western standards of beauty."