“I started painting this summer because I genuinely had nothing else to do. I was drawn to mushrooms because they had a simple shape to follow and I was a beginner. After painting countless mushrooms, I decided to try something different. Growing up as a young woman I’ve always had a really hard time simply being okay with my body and femininity, so I thought it would be fun and kind of outrageous to add exaggerated feminine features to the only thing I could paint—mushrooms! I also must say that these mushrooms are based heavily on my favorite word: tacky. They just make me happy, whether it’s the ridiculous colors or [the] even more ridiculous concept, these paintings have both made me feel better about myself, and just put a smile on my face,” senior Averie Ledger said.

Gallery • 4 Photos

(Courtesy of Averie Ledger)