The Red Stripe - Self Portrait - © Jaeda DeWalt





The Sadness - Self Portrait - Striped Emotions Series - © Jaeda DeWalt





I wanted to preview the first image in my Striped Emotions series. I am still working on the other images in this series. I like challenging myself in new ways, with my self-portraits. And i thought it would be interesting to see if i could make it look like i was interacting with myself . . . in some way.

I shot this series against a green screen.  The background was taken from a photo-shoot i did at an industrial site in Seattle. The watchman was kind of enough to let me onto the grounds and gave me a tour and all access pass with my camera.

With this image i was striving to convey the extreme sadness i feel with manic depression. Over the years i have discovered that sadness is often anger, spread really thin, masquerading as melancholy. Anger is an emotion i have a very difficult
time allowing myself to feel and express, i often repress it. As a child i was not allowed to express my feelings or my anger. There is a detachment that comes with sadness, a disconnect from the self, from the world . . .

BUT i am in a good place at the present moment and i am getting better at managing the emotional tidal waves that manic depression brings . . . my DBT workbook has offered me some valuable coping skills, tools and techniques.

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I am happy to finally be back in the studio, doing what i love best . . . creating new work and sharing it with everyone :).

I had to take a long leave of absence from the studio to work on the business side of my art.  I finally got enough done to allow me some studio time.  I will finish my "striped emotions" series out and then my "red zone" series, both of which, i photographed this past weekend and then i will be giving my website a much needed overhaul.

Exciting new things are on the horizon!
In the next month i will be adding videos of myself to include; surreal poetry recitations, cute little jaeda-mercials for my art products and diary style videos where i simply share my thoughts and feelings on various things.  I will also be including interviews.

I will also be adding apparel to my Cafepress shop over the next few months, that feature my artography. And my next artography book is set to be released in approximately 3 months. 

Thank you to everyone that has commented on my art over the years, supported it, and offered an encouraging word . . . you make my heart smile wide!

PEACE, LOVE and INFINITE BLESSINGS :)
j a e d a