My work is based on nostalgia. To me, nostalgia is looking back on the fondness of my childhood. Recently, it seems like everyone has been focused on nostalgia whether it is through movies, TV shows, or songs. For example, there are several throwback or sequel movies coming out like Star Wars, Harry Potter and superheroes. People from my generation and even the generation before grew up with these characters. When I go on social media, I see people posting about an old show or objects and they are asking “remember these?” My plan is to demonstrate nostalgia through still life objects from my childhood. Many of the objects I use may speak to viewers of my work and bring back fond memories for them as well. These objects might make others say with endearment, “I remember these things.” At first I struggled with how to depict the idea of nostalgia. I start thinking about shows I watch, things I did, and objects I played with as a child. In the end, I decided to convey nostalgia by using my toys and other objects from childhood. I did not want to paint these objects with the idea that they would just act like trigger for a memory or moment to the viewer. I studied Jan Davidsz De Heem, a Dutch still life painter from the 17th century. His work was of vanitas and flowers still life paintings but in these still life paintings, he had symbolic objects that would relate to life and death. His use of symbolism is the main reason I looked at him. In my still life paintings, I am including symbolism in order to give these objects meaning. I’m using Symbolism through the aging or the action of an item, which presents the viewer with a message of what these objects mean to me. These objects are important to me. I am showing nostalgia by using still life paintings of my childhood objects and giving them meaning by adding symbolism with aging or action of the objects.