This assemblage piece was my breakthrough portrait for the Wild Woman Portrait series. It is the first of my paintings to capture my full concept successfully while integrating the illustrative style that compels my narrative painting concepts.
As a survivor of childhood abuse, I struggled for many years to face my trauma head-on and find a way to heal. In my therapy for PTSD, I came across the concepts of positivity and self-affirmation, applied them to several years of personal journaling, and reset my mindset and self-perception. Along that journey, I stumbled upon the quote that inspired this self-portrait:
“The lotus is the most beautiful flower, whose petals open one by one... But it will only grow in the mud.
In order to grow and gain wisdom, first, you must have the mud – the obstacles of life and its suffering...
The mud speaks of the common ground that humans share, no matter what our station in life.” - Author Unknown