As an artist, I strive to show others that we should all love ourselves, love each other, and love life without judgment. Identity is what my art is about. I grew up with body issues, just like anybody else these days. I come from a very conservative and strict background which caused me to rebel, and my rebellion was to paint nudes. Painting nudes was my personal therapy that helped me to reach the conclusion that if I can stand in front of a mirror naked and like the person that I am, I have won the battle of self-worth and self-esteem. My inspiration now for painting the female body is empowerment. As women we spend so much time trying to look better, to hide or not acknowledge our flaws, and that is unfortunate. My desire for everyone, especially women, is that we can accept ourselves unconditionally flaws and all. My inspiration comes from my own journey of accepting myself.
The medium I use is any material that I can get my hands on, but my artwork is anchored in acrylic paints. I will use gels, plaster, wire, metals, nails, gold leaf, sand, glass beads, ink, real flowers . . . If the material speaks to me and I am inspired by something about it, I will incorporate it into my paintings.
The role of an artist should be a thought provoker, inspiration, and to express a point of view. There are always two sides to a coin. Hope and desperation can exist on the same canvas, just like light and dark, and good, and bad. Art is subjective and expresses all the emotions and experiences that we have as human beings.
