Kirstie Paints utilizes mixed media to create a dense, tactile surface where the macabre meets the decorative. By placing an original artwork collage onto a gold leaf field, the artist imbues the central skull—housed within an astronaut's helmet—with a sense of sacred weight. The gold acts as an ambiguous visual space, pushing the vibrant abstract elements forward while grounding the horror-inflected subject matter in a classic frame.

The composition balances the stillness of the skull with the kinetic energy of botanical growth and animal life. Vibrant colors weave through the frame, creating a tapestry of elements that challenge the viewer's perception of the macabre. This is a study in the essential elements of design, where the starkness of death is softened by the lushness of the natural world, resulting in a piece that feels both heavy with history and alive with movement.