Riley doyle

illustration

Artist statement

When I create art, it is colorful, vibrant, bright, and imaginative! Storytelling is my passion, even when a piece is not explicitly narrative. I love to create comics, both autobiographical and fictional. When the viewer reads my comics, I invite them to step into my perspective of the world.

I experience life with an emotional sensitivity I want to share. I reach both the highs of feelings like love & joy, but also the lowest lows of rejection, numbness, and despair. I choose saturated colors and intense lighting, which are the most accurate way I reflect those emotions. I pair these elements with either dialogue or short poem-like writings, usually filled with metaphors and analogies. My environments can be based in reality, sometimes reflecting actual places in my life, but quickly become twisted into exaggerated and fantastical settings. I grab a feeling and wrangle it into the material world, making ambiguous and subjective feelings into tangible and observable illustrations. It’s the most authentic way I communicate, and there is no easier way to connect with others than being yourself.

At heart, I am an optimist, empathetic, and open. While it is difficult to be vulnerable, it is worth it. I want others to feel seen and heard. I want to spark a connection. I want others to recognize themselves. Whether I make somebody cry, or make them smile, I hope other people feel less alone. There is nothing more fulfilling than making that connection through my art.