Feral is a self-portrait in response to people telling me that I am aggressive and confrontational. In my experience, this criticism is most often expressed when I am being assertive or self-confident. I painted this portrait as a reminder to myself that I have a right to stand up for myself and express my preferences.
I often feel like I our culture imposes docility on women, expressing preference for meekness, beauty, and accommodating behavior. I believe women are better served by deciding how they want to walk through life. I prefer to be self-reliant, independent, and follow my passion for art and empowering women in my community.
I used visual symbolism and an illustrative style to create tension in this portrait. My formal training is in illustration, and I am a storyteller by nature. I describe my work as narrative portraits because it is my hope to use my art as a means of empowering women.
The thistles in the foreground are one of my favorite wildflowers. They are sturdy and thorny and grow vigorously. Most people see a weed when they drive past a pasture full of thistles, but they bring me a tremendous amount of joy. I love the color of the flowers, and they provide weeks of nourishment to the pollinators in my garden.
The shape of the prickly leaves are mirrored in the word feral down the left side of the composition, in the shadows cast by my hair across my skin, and the pattern on my dress.