Felecia Palmieri, also known as “Novarose” is a 20-year old artist from the Bay Area who said she uses her art to “express pain, sadness, the appreciation of women and love.”
Palmieri started drawing when she was in elementary school, but fell out of it once she got into middle school.
“I always enjoyed it but lost it when I went to middle school because I started to compare my art to other people’s and I didn’t feel I was that great of an artist,” Palmieri said.
Palmieri got serious about art in her junior year of high school when she would write notes for her boyfriend that would include doodles.
He liked them which encouraged her to draw more.
“It was more than just drawing an object or person, it was how I coped with a lot and expressed my inner feelings,” she recalled.
Palmieri now credits her influences as faces, music, love and women.
“Women inspire me so much it’s so hard not to paint a woman,” said Palmieri who also speaks about feminism.
Palmieri stands for equal rights for women in all forms.
“We’re taking back all the slut shaming, we’re taking back our sexuality and embracing it, we deserve to be boss, we deserve to be president. We can do anything a man do,” she said.
While lifting women up she doesn’t tear the men down saying.
“And its not only for women to be apart of feminism, men who also believe we deserve the same the rights. We do not hate men,” she said.
Palmieri honors women in each of her art pieces saying “a woman is always involved somehow in my art even if its just the lips or the eyes of a woman.”
When asked to pick her favorite piece she didn’t settle.
“The one that captures my attention the most is called ‘cutd33p’ its one
of my saddest pieces. A painting of woman with slices all over her body to represent pain. And a red streak in her eye to representing when you see something that cuts you deep and causes pain. Just straight pain,” said Palmieri.
Art is mainly used for expression of feelings. Palmieri focuses on expression when creating her work.
“My art speaks for me, I put it out there,” said Palmieri who thrives on the enlightenment of women in her art. Making others embrace the beauty of the female body in her paintings.
Palmieri displays messages of love, beauty and authenticity in her art which is something that is always needed.