Artist Statement : Abagail T. Serrano ,Whimsical, Collaborative, Delight

 In my work, I try to capture the feeling of the light-hearted aspects of life, even when the visuals seem unfamiliar. They are snippets of larger, untold stories, designed to stimulate the imagination and invite viewers into a realm of whimsy and human desire through simplistic cartoon characters and their stories. Illustration acts as the tool with which I create my work.

    Characters are the heart of my work. Each has their own unique storylines that exist vividly in my mind. The goal of my work is to share these stories through illustrations. My main preference is Visual narratives without written words; images that speak through expression, color, and composition. The characters I make and the areas they live in are bright, colorful and soft. These pieces strive to explore innately human feelings through silly images. Characters are inspired by myself, my family and the people I meet and interact with day to day. The design language I use for my characters relies heavily on round soft shapes, something weird that still happens to be cute is always my goal, as I feel like that can describe myself most days.
    A significant part of my artistic process involves considering how others perceive these characters and narratives. This collaborative element sparks exploration not only in the conceptual phase but also in the physical creation of the artwork. When creating my work I gravitate towards digital software so I can be very picky with the smoothness of my finishes and careful linework. This does not negate my physical connection to the work. Maintaining the physicality of my work through making my thumbnails and initial sketches in a sketchbook and printing my work out when I have resolved the image is key to the connection I want and want others to have with my work. Through this, I can ensure that there is a tangible link between creator and creation.
    As I continue my artistic journey, I want to create narratives that are able to teach and inspire creativity in others as I have been taught and inspired. My art is an invitation for viewers to find delight in the fantastical and discover their own stories within my creations.