Sarah Ahmer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah Ahmer
Slow Down
oil on canvas
36 x 36

When thinking about reflection/refraction, my mind immediately went to “self-reflection.” I wanted to create a piece that invoked a feeling of quiet contemplation. Personally, when I feel overwhelmed by my thoughts or any events going on in my life, I like to lay on the floor and “reflect” on everything that is going on in my head. I find that doing this is really meditative and grounding. It is easy to lose track of time and it often brings me clarity. I wanted my painting to convey all of these things because I believe that everyone has moments like these- bizarre little exercises that help us pull ourselves and our thoughts together. I decided that a good way to communicate the reflection aspect of this painting was to paint a small reflection of the figure on the surface they are lying on. I wanted the figure to appear relaxed, but serious to communicate that she is thinking about something. I wanted the colors to be relatively muted so that the image remains quiet and still. The figure is alone, lost in thought. The figure’s lack of eyes implies that she is looking internally rather than externally, furthering the idea of self-reflection. The work is intended to get viewers to think about how they self-reflect and how they actively slow down to think about life and the world going on around them.

 

UAG