Milk and Honey
"When you think of honey do you think of happiness? When you think of milk do you think of strength? " -Emilie Smith
SUMMARY
Milk and Honey was the first portfolio of Emilie Smith's professional art career. Inspired by the poetry book Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur, Emilie portrayed each of the work's four stages (The Hurting, The Loving, The Breaking, and The Healing) chronologically, depicting the mental process, holding a special meaning as she is an avid supporter of mental health awareness. The intention of the collection is to use the book, along with her own personal experiences, to draw out an individual's memories, ultimately, leading to the evocation of emotion.
Emilie stayed true to the poetry book through her continuous usage of bees, milk, and honey, each a symbol that goes beyond surface level. The symbolism behind these references can date back to the ancient Egyptians, as honey was used as an embalming fluid and a dressing for wounds, becoming a representation of healing. Continuing into present day, honey is still used for its healing properties as an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. While known for bitterness, honey was also symbolic of sweetness within these different, inter-connected compositions due to its literal taste; in addition, this reference was supplemented by the use of bees, who spread the honey. Furthermore, milk was utilized to represent strength and growth. These references collectively encompass the process depicted in the four stages of the book, allowing Emilie to pay homage to the inspiration behind her artwork. |
Milk and Honey, the portfolio, explored both the pen and watercolor mediums. These diverse styles allowed her to dictate every element on the paper, from minuscule details to the varying wash of each piece. The changing watercolor depicts a gradual transition from one section to the next as the colors are more prominent on specific compositions. For example, the yellow watercolor wash is more evident in The Loving and Healing sections along with the white and black wash enhancing the The Hurting and Breaking sections. The colors are used to symbolize the selective moods as yellow is attributed to positivity due to its brightness while white and black, more dull hues, are more closely associated with sadness. The specific moods highlight the contrasting emotions one goes through mentally during the process of heartbreak, ultimately, the process that the book and portfolio are illustrating.
Emilie's technique, style, and methods embody her message in a very significant manner. Slightly touched on above, the compositions purposefully gain life using the enhancement of color, among other artistic elements. As the book and portfolio explore the journey of heartbreak, the first section, The Hurting, is mostly colorless, with the minuscule use of cold colors to depict pain. This is followed by The Loving, colorful pieces that incorporate warm colors to emphasize a more positive time period of the journey. However, this is soon followed by The Breaking section that uses the loss of color to symbolize a return to isolation. Lastly, the final section, The Healing, strays from the common element and uses the addition of flowers to depict blooming, in other words, regrowth after personal conflict. The addition of nature reinforces the prioritization of creating a healthy environment, emphasizing the main focus of the portfolio: mental health.
Emilie's technique, style, and methods embody her message in a very significant manner. Slightly touched on above, the compositions purposefully gain life using the enhancement of color, among other artistic elements. As the book and portfolio explore the journey of heartbreak, the first section, The Hurting, is mostly colorless, with the minuscule use of cold colors to depict pain. This is followed by The Loving, colorful pieces that incorporate warm colors to emphasize a more positive time period of the journey. However, this is soon followed by The Breaking section that uses the loss of color to symbolize a return to isolation. Lastly, the final section, The Healing, strays from the common element and uses the addition of flowers to depict blooming, in other words, regrowth after personal conflict. The addition of nature reinforces the prioritization of creating a healthy environment, emphasizing the main focus of the portfolio: mental health.
AUTHOR'S STATEMENT: A PIECE BY PIECE BREAKDOWN
First Piece: The Hurting Part 1
This is the first piece of the first section of Milk and Honey, The Hurting. The model (myself) has a sadness to her eyes and face, looking away from the focal point of the image. I use symbolism with bee’s, milk, and honey and a lack of color to show the solemn aspect to this section. The dripping of dull grey on a yellow background represents sadness and anger. I use a honeycomb pattern as well as a net to symbolize feeling trapped. The yellow background is a woodgrain pattern to tie into the theme and this is continued throughout each piece.
Second Piece: The Hurting Part 2
My second piece is the second part of the first section of Milk and Honey, The Hurting. This piece represents the same sadness, however in a different way than the first piece. The model of this image (my friend Julia) is demonstrating a sad lifeless facial expression. As well as the obvious emotion of her face, the image contains dead flowers which directly and strongly connect to the bee’s. The flowers need pollen to survive, and if the bee’s aren’t delivering the pollen, the flowers will die. The flowers represent health in this case which illustrates the lack of necessities to create good mental health. The bee’s represent the spread of positivity and they are connected to every symbol in the image. The pollen in this case is the actual positivity due to the fact that it is what the bees have to carry around and distribute. These symbols are one large metaphor for human emotion. As well as these symbols, I have included the serotonin symbol. Serotonin is the chemical in the brain that affects mood and behavior. This is extremely important due to the theme of mental health. In this piece as well as the next, there is little to no color or positivity. The honeycombs and woodgrain background remains a symbol throughout all 12 pieces. In my line work, I have included thicker lines and rearranged the honeycombs creatively.
Third Piece: The Hurting Part 3
My third piece is the third part of the first section of Milk and Honey, the Hurting. In this piece, The Hurting is still present. However, I am now including milk as my work approaches The Loving. The model (my friend Ben) is portraying a sad face however it is from two different angles in this image. The two faces represent moving away from who you have been and moving towards someone you want to be. It is an experience of finding yourself mixed with the dissociation that can come from depression or any mental illness. The milk is dripping into his eye as he looks up, searching for a way out of his sadness, and desperately searching for strength to pull himself out of his situation. Milk represents strength and growth in my work, and what you search for here you will find. The transition from hurting to loving cannot be made without these components. The flowers in this piece are still dead, however, you will see them flourish as my work moves into the loving. The bees and honeycombs remain a theme in this project as well as the woodgrain background, however, I have once again changed the shape of the honeycombs to add more depth. They are now overlapping and demonstrating contrast of black and white.
Fourth Piece: The Loving Part 1
My fourth piece is the first part of the second section of Milk and Honey, The Loving. This is where color moves into my work as well as life. The color appears because there is love present. The model (my friend Alex) is shown three times in this piece. This represents how she has found love and no matter where she looks she cannot see the sadness she had seen previously. Everywhere she looks there is color, she feels no pain. The theme of my work at this point is no longer sad or dull. The flowers are present in this piece as well and they are now alive and blooming. There are vines growing throughout the honeycombs connecting the symbols of the image together as a strong and growing bond. This bond is love, hope, and happiness. I have changed the honeycomb pattern to 3D structures created from a vanishing point. The dripping in the background is no longer milk, it is honey. She is enjoying the sweetness of life. The rose in this image is a symbol of love. The message in this is finally adapting a healthy mindset, however, love is tricky. Love can heal you, but it may also break you. Nothing here is permanent.
Fifth Piece: The Loving Part 2
My fifth piece is the second part of the second section of Milk and Honey, The Loving. In this piece, the model (my friend Delaney) is picking the petals off of a flower and playing the game “he loves me, he loves me not”. Although this piece is within the loving, the question and uncertainty of this game is representing the instability of some relationships. My theme continues to be full of color and no longer dull and the honey continues to drip in the background instead of milk. The flowers are consistent throughout all three pieces in this section and they are alive and blooming. Although they are growing, she is picking the petals off of them. This represents how people in love second guess the good things that happen to them and can end up destroying them. In connection to this, the face and body itself do not have color. This is representing that it is unhealthy to rely on someone else to be happy and find peace. If you are placing your happiness and heart in someone else you will no longer be happy when they are gone. The colors will disappear and the image will be left colorless once again.
Sixth Piece: The Loving Part 3
My sixth piece is the third part of the second section of Milk and Honey, The Loving. The color continues into this piece. In this piece, the model (my friend Becca) is reaching back for the hand of the person she loves. She is only looking backwards, not forwards, blinded to the fact that things are falling apart. The honeycombs are breaking and snapping. They are breaking beneath her, and as a part of her, but have not reached her head. This symbolizes that she has not realized what is going on. The vines continue to be wrapped around the shapes connected to the rose which still represents love. It is alive and colorful because in her eyes all she sees is positive. This supports my theme that love is blinding and can control the mind. This may allow people to easily look beyond their own mental health and place all of their worth into another person or a relationship with another person.
Seventh Piece: The Breaking Part 1
My seventh piece is the first piece of the third section of Milk and Honey. In this piece, the model (myself) is breaking. She has had her heart broken by the one she loved. I symbolized this by having her hand partially cover her eyes, and sooth her head. Heartbreak is a whole body experience. It can tear you down, make you weak, and make you not want to see certain things. It may make you want to filter out what you see and hear. The hand and fingers represent this, and the honeycombs are now placed on her hand. The honeycomb in the background that appears as a hole has cracked the background. This represents the aspect of breaking and damage to mental health. The flowers attached to her hair are now dead, the image is now lifeless again. Even the bees are not in flight, and the honey dripping is back to black and white. It displays pain and loss. This will continue for my next two pieces.
Eighth Piece: The Breaking Part 2
My eighth piece is the second piece of the third section of Milk and Honey. In this project, the model (Alex Jokinen) is looking up at the broken crown. The crown represents the queen bees. It is a crown for a queen. However, the crown is broken which is consistent with the theme for this section. The glasses represent seeing things differently. By this I mean having a more sorrow outlook on life and lacking clarity. The serotonin symbol reappears in this piece as I believe it is important in representing the scientific aspects behind moods and mental illness. Dead plants continue to appear in this image to show the lifelessness, and the bee is not flying which represents how there is no spread of honey here; no happiness.
Ninth Piece: The Breaking Part 3
My ninth piece is the third piece of the third section of Milk and Honey. In this project, the girl is stretching out a rope. The rope is breaking and snapping in the middle, and the strings turn into dead flowers. The honeycomb pattern is similar to a blueprint, symbolizing the broken structure.
Tenth Piece: The Healing Part 1
My tenth piece is the first piece of the fourth section of Milk and Honey, The Healing. In this piece, I am bringing back the color. I am incorporating symbolism of a clock. The clock represents that the time is up for the uphill battle of recovery. The clock reads 11:11. I did this because every 11:11 I make a wish and I wanted to symbolize the importance of having faith in something even if it’s as small as one minute out of the day twice a day. This piece includes flowers which are lively and bees that are swarming around them and spreading the pollen.
Eleventh Piece: The Healing Part 2
My eleventh piece is the second piece of the fourth section of Milk and Honey, The Healing. In this piece, I am incorporating the protective suit that is used when dealing with bee’s to collect the honey. This is a metaphor for being able to find your happiness comfortably and feeling protected within yourself. The flowers are alive and the woodgrain and honeycomb patterns are still consistent.
Twelfth Piece: The Healing Part 3
My twelfth piece is the third piece of the fourth section of Milk and Honey, The Healing. It is the last piece of my work. In this piece, I am incorporating bees, milk, honey, and flowers. Every aspect of life throughout my work will be included in this piece. I will include a part of the person's body filled with plants and flowers. I will also include a honeycomb cup pouring out the milk and honey.
This is the first piece of the first section of Milk and Honey, The Hurting. The model (myself) has a sadness to her eyes and face, looking away from the focal point of the image. I use symbolism with bee’s, milk, and honey and a lack of color to show the solemn aspect to this section. The dripping of dull grey on a yellow background represents sadness and anger. I use a honeycomb pattern as well as a net to symbolize feeling trapped. The yellow background is a woodgrain pattern to tie into the theme and this is continued throughout each piece.
Second Piece: The Hurting Part 2
My second piece is the second part of the first section of Milk and Honey, The Hurting. This piece represents the same sadness, however in a different way than the first piece. The model of this image (my friend Julia) is demonstrating a sad lifeless facial expression. As well as the obvious emotion of her face, the image contains dead flowers which directly and strongly connect to the bee’s. The flowers need pollen to survive, and if the bee’s aren’t delivering the pollen, the flowers will die. The flowers represent health in this case which illustrates the lack of necessities to create good mental health. The bee’s represent the spread of positivity and they are connected to every symbol in the image. The pollen in this case is the actual positivity due to the fact that it is what the bees have to carry around and distribute. These symbols are one large metaphor for human emotion. As well as these symbols, I have included the serotonin symbol. Serotonin is the chemical in the brain that affects mood and behavior. This is extremely important due to the theme of mental health. In this piece as well as the next, there is little to no color or positivity. The honeycombs and woodgrain background remains a symbol throughout all 12 pieces. In my line work, I have included thicker lines and rearranged the honeycombs creatively.
Third Piece: The Hurting Part 3
My third piece is the third part of the first section of Milk and Honey, the Hurting. In this piece, The Hurting is still present. However, I am now including milk as my work approaches The Loving. The model (my friend Ben) is portraying a sad face however it is from two different angles in this image. The two faces represent moving away from who you have been and moving towards someone you want to be. It is an experience of finding yourself mixed with the dissociation that can come from depression or any mental illness. The milk is dripping into his eye as he looks up, searching for a way out of his sadness, and desperately searching for strength to pull himself out of his situation. Milk represents strength and growth in my work, and what you search for here you will find. The transition from hurting to loving cannot be made without these components. The flowers in this piece are still dead, however, you will see them flourish as my work moves into the loving. The bees and honeycombs remain a theme in this project as well as the woodgrain background, however, I have once again changed the shape of the honeycombs to add more depth. They are now overlapping and demonstrating contrast of black and white.
Fourth Piece: The Loving Part 1
My fourth piece is the first part of the second section of Milk and Honey, The Loving. This is where color moves into my work as well as life. The color appears because there is love present. The model (my friend Alex) is shown three times in this piece. This represents how she has found love and no matter where she looks she cannot see the sadness she had seen previously. Everywhere she looks there is color, she feels no pain. The theme of my work at this point is no longer sad or dull. The flowers are present in this piece as well and they are now alive and blooming. There are vines growing throughout the honeycombs connecting the symbols of the image together as a strong and growing bond. This bond is love, hope, and happiness. I have changed the honeycomb pattern to 3D structures created from a vanishing point. The dripping in the background is no longer milk, it is honey. She is enjoying the sweetness of life. The rose in this image is a symbol of love. The message in this is finally adapting a healthy mindset, however, love is tricky. Love can heal you, but it may also break you. Nothing here is permanent.
Fifth Piece: The Loving Part 2
My fifth piece is the second part of the second section of Milk and Honey, The Loving. In this piece, the model (my friend Delaney) is picking the petals off of a flower and playing the game “he loves me, he loves me not”. Although this piece is within the loving, the question and uncertainty of this game is representing the instability of some relationships. My theme continues to be full of color and no longer dull and the honey continues to drip in the background instead of milk. The flowers are consistent throughout all three pieces in this section and they are alive and blooming. Although they are growing, she is picking the petals off of them. This represents how people in love second guess the good things that happen to them and can end up destroying them. In connection to this, the face and body itself do not have color. This is representing that it is unhealthy to rely on someone else to be happy and find peace. If you are placing your happiness and heart in someone else you will no longer be happy when they are gone. The colors will disappear and the image will be left colorless once again.
Sixth Piece: The Loving Part 3
My sixth piece is the third part of the second section of Milk and Honey, The Loving. The color continues into this piece. In this piece, the model (my friend Becca) is reaching back for the hand of the person she loves. She is only looking backwards, not forwards, blinded to the fact that things are falling apart. The honeycombs are breaking and snapping. They are breaking beneath her, and as a part of her, but have not reached her head. This symbolizes that she has not realized what is going on. The vines continue to be wrapped around the shapes connected to the rose which still represents love. It is alive and colorful because in her eyes all she sees is positive. This supports my theme that love is blinding and can control the mind. This may allow people to easily look beyond their own mental health and place all of their worth into another person or a relationship with another person.
Seventh Piece: The Breaking Part 1
My seventh piece is the first piece of the third section of Milk and Honey. In this piece, the model (myself) is breaking. She has had her heart broken by the one she loved. I symbolized this by having her hand partially cover her eyes, and sooth her head. Heartbreak is a whole body experience. It can tear you down, make you weak, and make you not want to see certain things. It may make you want to filter out what you see and hear. The hand and fingers represent this, and the honeycombs are now placed on her hand. The honeycomb in the background that appears as a hole has cracked the background. This represents the aspect of breaking and damage to mental health. The flowers attached to her hair are now dead, the image is now lifeless again. Even the bees are not in flight, and the honey dripping is back to black and white. It displays pain and loss. This will continue for my next two pieces.
Eighth Piece: The Breaking Part 2
My eighth piece is the second piece of the third section of Milk and Honey. In this project, the model (Alex Jokinen) is looking up at the broken crown. The crown represents the queen bees. It is a crown for a queen. However, the crown is broken which is consistent with the theme for this section. The glasses represent seeing things differently. By this I mean having a more sorrow outlook on life and lacking clarity. The serotonin symbol reappears in this piece as I believe it is important in representing the scientific aspects behind moods and mental illness. Dead plants continue to appear in this image to show the lifelessness, and the bee is not flying which represents how there is no spread of honey here; no happiness.
Ninth Piece: The Breaking Part 3
My ninth piece is the third piece of the third section of Milk and Honey. In this project, the girl is stretching out a rope. The rope is breaking and snapping in the middle, and the strings turn into dead flowers. The honeycomb pattern is similar to a blueprint, symbolizing the broken structure.
Tenth Piece: The Healing Part 1
My tenth piece is the first piece of the fourth section of Milk and Honey, The Healing. In this piece, I am bringing back the color. I am incorporating symbolism of a clock. The clock represents that the time is up for the uphill battle of recovery. The clock reads 11:11. I did this because every 11:11 I make a wish and I wanted to symbolize the importance of having faith in something even if it’s as small as one minute out of the day twice a day. This piece includes flowers which are lively and bees that are swarming around them and spreading the pollen.
Eleventh Piece: The Healing Part 2
My eleventh piece is the second piece of the fourth section of Milk and Honey, The Healing. In this piece, I am incorporating the protective suit that is used when dealing with bee’s to collect the honey. This is a metaphor for being able to find your happiness comfortably and feeling protected within yourself. The flowers are alive and the woodgrain and honeycomb patterns are still consistent.
Twelfth Piece: The Healing Part 3
My twelfth piece is the third piece of the fourth section of Milk and Honey, The Healing. It is the last piece of my work. In this piece, I am incorporating bees, milk, honey, and flowers. Every aspect of life throughout my work will be included in this piece. I will include a part of the person's body filled with plants and flowers. I will also include a honeycomb cup pouring out the milk and honey.