The works presented in this exhibition are a continuation to a suite entitled The Hog Series which was done as a creative terminal project for my Master of Fine Arts degree. The Series consists of paintings using mostly traditional oil painting techniques and related drawings rendered in predominately diagonal pencil strokes. The hog is the recurring image in the works. The primary objective of this project was to express the cultural identity of rural South Carolina perceived by an artist from this culture. The works represent and visually articulate certain personal experiences, feelings, and emotions. My concern for and involvement with the animals are made visible through dignified presentations. Many of the misconceptions associated with hogs were exposed through the close positioning of realistic images and fantasy images. I have attempted to portray conceptions that I remember about hogs as a child (i.e. fairy tales such as Three Little Pigs) and juxtapose them to my more objective views as an adult. These often contradictory feelings were presented in a sometimes humorous and a sometimes shocking way.