Project One

Namesake Self-Portrait Collage

Nana Paisley, my namesake, passed away while I was finishing graduate school. I did not allow myself the time to process this until I returned home after my graduation and summer internship. During my career “in between,” I found myself lagging on the job searching and my eyes wandering over at her endless jewelry, accessories, and colorful clothes. I knew right then I would set up my tripod on self timer and just start creating. I didn’t know what I was making but I wanted it to be something bold, fierce, sexy, and LOUD! This was the woman who tried to give me Fifty Shades of Grey, as well as, Stephen King to read at a very young age. (Her daughter, my mother, of course did not let her) She told epic tales of travel and introduced me to many words I had never heard before like skinny dipping. (Shhh don’t tell my mom!) She always had a stash of candy, a smile, and the perfect shade of lipstick to match her nails. AND SHE NEVER STOPPED TALKING. (If you know me you you know the apple doesn’t fall too far from the Paisley Tree) She always called me darling with a long southern drawl, told me to brush my hair, and that I was beautiful even with my shiny braces. She was very persuasive. Especially when it came to capturing the eyes and hearts of men. I hope you can find some human connection intertwined with advertising bits within. But remember this one was for me! From one material girl for another!! When I complete this in its entirity I will be designing a book for my family so that we all may remember her as lively and bright as she was every time we saw her in her yellow chair holding her favorite objects. I will forever be proud to carry on the Paisley legacy, it is the honor of my life. May this help you never forget, to always eat cake for breakfast. And remember: Paisley is a name for leading ladies only. All of these were created with my old Canon camera and Adobe Photoshop