Love
Year Completed: 2026
Medium / Materials: Balsa wood, watercolor paint, polymer clay, wire (internal), paper, pen, pins
Dimensions: 4” x 6” x 7”
Status: In Personal Collection
Series: Experience through Insects
Exhibition:
The Process
Originally, I was going to create this piece as a painting. However, I could not pick one angle and after realizing I wanted to incorporate as love letter, I decided to make it in 3D as it would be more engaging overall and I felt passionate about its potential. At first, I wanted to use paper mache, but I changed my mind to carving balsa wood for my base as it would be more structurally solid and allow for more detail, while still being lighter and easy to cut (plus doing so was very satisfying). I used an anatomical 3D model to base its form off of and slowly refined its shape, learning new carving techniques in the process. After that, I painted the heart in deep read with watercolor to add to its realism.
Then, I wanted to add the main valves at the top. I considered using moldable paper mache, but it did not allow for as much detail, so I used polymer clay, which I stuck into to help it defy gravity. After rigorously mixing the clay, I molded it carefully into the proper valves using a razor blade and wire piece. Then I added watercolor on top to reduce the fake look of the solid-color clay. Finally, after making some test butterflies with scratch paper, I wrote a heartfelt love letter to my boyfriend and cut it into butterflies, which I pinned onto the heart.
Ideas
The main idea of the project was love. I created a heart to represent love’s aspect of the flesh: the hormones which the feelings of love originate from. The simplified heart is also a classic symbol for love, so i portrayed it in a realistic, near gruesome, manner to highlight the true intensity and sacrifice involved in true love–just like the passion of Christ. The butterflies swarm around the heart, mimicking the giddy sensation of “butterflies in your stomach” of puppy love feelings as well as how deeper meaning–resented through earnest words–blossom and feed off of love’s brutality. This delicate and powerful interaction of our thoughts and biology is what forms the passionate nature of love and makes it so significant inside and outside of ourselves.
