Pieces of Me
Artist Statement
Synchronized swimming is the product of the delicate combination of passion, art, strength, competition, and musical interpretation. It challenges it’s athletes to push their bodies to the limit while making it look effortless. My painting shows that there is more to the sport of synchronized swimming than first meets the eye. Behind the pretty swimsuits and makeup there are athletes, like me, who have trained for years to perfect the difficult movements that make up a routine. We come to practice, sometimes up to 20 hours a week, in the rain, cold, or darkness because we all share the same passion for this amazing sport. We enjoy being part of something bigger than ourselves, each of us as an individual plays a key role in the success of the team as a whole. My painting is just a glimpse into the real sport of synchronized swimming, an effort to show those who dismiss it as an easy water dance what it really takes. I use a black background to symbolize the negative pressure of the community, and light shades of tan and bright blues to show the continual, undying passion of the athletes. The words in the background represent
I don’t do synchronized swimming to win competitions, or because I get to wear pretty swimsuits. No, I do it because I want to share the energy and passion for this sport with others. I do it for the important lessons to be learned about perseverance and teamwork. I do it for the friendships formed, with teammates and coaches, as we continue to give this sport our all even when our own peers, friends, and family scoff at it. I know not everyone can understand our sport, but everyone can understand the passion my teammates and I feel for it. I hope my painting helps convey the passion I feel for the sport of synchronized swimming, and I hope you will take the time to get to know a sport completely before judging it and the athletes who devote their lives to it.
Synchronized swimming is the product of the delicate combination of passion, art, strength, competition, and musical interpretation. It challenges it’s athletes to push their bodies to the limit while making it look effortless. My painting shows that there is more to the sport of synchronized swimming than first meets the eye. Behind the pretty swimsuits and makeup there are athletes, like me, who have trained for years to perfect the difficult movements that make up a routine. We come to practice, sometimes up to 20 hours a week, in the rain, cold, or darkness because we all share the same passion for this amazing sport. We enjoy being part of something bigger than ourselves, each of us as an individual plays a key role in the success of the team as a whole. My painting is just a glimpse into the real sport of synchronized swimming, an effort to show those who dismiss it as an easy water dance what it really takes. I use a black background to symbolize the negative pressure of the community, and light shades of tan and bright blues to show the continual, undying passion of the athletes. The words in the background represent
I don’t do synchronized swimming to win competitions, or because I get to wear pretty swimsuits. No, I do it because I want to share the energy and passion for this sport with others. I do it for the important lessons to be learned about perseverance and teamwork. I do it for the friendships formed, with teammates and coaches, as we continue to give this sport our all even when our own peers, friends, and family scoff at it. I know not everyone can understand our sport, but everyone can understand the passion my teammates and I feel for it. I hope my painting helps convey the passion I feel for the sport of synchronized swimming, and I hope you will take the time to get to know a sport completely before judging it and the athletes who devote their lives to it.