SIMONE SCHOLES| MANSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS

This series explores the tension between glamour and introspection, drawing inspiration from 1930s elegance, retro fashion, and the psychological depth of Poe’s delirium. Each figure is poised in emotional chiaroscuro—caught between concealment and revelation, performance and truth. Through impressionistic brushwork and dramatic styling, I use fashion as metaphor: sunglasses, gowns, and top hats become shields, signals, and stories. These works are not just portraits—they're visual poems about resilience, identity, and the quiet power of being seen in fragments.

My work employs surrealism, humor, and grotesque imagery to depict aspects of the These works are unified by a theme of emotional duality-each figure is navigating darkness while reaching for light. I'm drawn to retro fashion not just for its aesthetic, but for how it can express inner complexity. There's a theatricality to the styling, but also a vulnerability in the poses and brushwork. I wanted to explore what it means to perform strength while holding space for introspection.

Simone began her career at Art College majoring in textile design but was very quickly pulled onto a different track in the corporate world of the fashion industry. In a serendipitous turn, her corporate career brought her on a journey to Vietnam many years later, where she quite unexpectedly fell in love with a painting hanging in a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh city. It sparked a new creative interest in Simone and where previously she had mainly worked with watercolor, it intrigued her to explore oil paint.

Using bold brushstrokes and plenty of Linseed oil, she plays with familiar shapes and light to create different personas. Using a combination of materials and textures, her fashion and textile inspired artwork aims to capture both the outward beauty and the inner mystery of human beings.

Her developed, recognizable style and been in numerous local New England shows and publications including the Attleboro Arts Museums 8 Visions and Boston City Hall Emerging Artist show.

Showgirl, 16 x 12 in., oil and silver leaf on cradled board // $500

Glimmer from the Abyss, 30 x 24 in., oil on cradled board // $1875

Night Owl 24x24 oil and silver leaf of cradled board // $1500