Over And

16-page double sided book (3 covers), each page measuring 8 × 6 inches. Hand-bound in two saddle stitch bindings. Read the full book and the artist statement below.

Gouache, colored pencil, Micron pen, white gel pen

2023

Artist Statement

In this work, I merged original poetry and illustrations into a book form to represent and explore the cycle of seasonal depression as a Florida native. The book consists of two halves, one “summer” and one “winter,” that cannot ever be experienced at the same time, but remain inseparable as two sides of the same coin. In the summer half, I used vibrant, aggressive colors and apocalyptic imagery to represent themes of heat, death, isolation, and overwhelm, while the shorter winter half employs lighter, calmer colors to represent life and love in a quiet, peaceful way.

Through both halves of the book, a consistent narrative plays out at the bottom of the pages, representing a main theme of the book: I spend summer feeling trapped—indoors, in my body, and in my mind—but in winter I can “leave the house,” finally able to enjoy my surroundings and be present and grounded.

While most people think of seasonal depression as a winter affliction, in Florida it’s usually the opposite. Similarly, white is often seen as a positive color and black a negative one. Since my experience of seasonal depression is flipped, so too do I flip the meanings of these colors. Instead, I use white to represent a harsh, bright, and unforgiving summer, and black to represent the refuge and safety of a quiet, calm winter. For me, winter is relief—the arrival of night at the end of a long day, and a chance, finally, to rest.