My current pursuit through art is focused on representing what a southern lady really should be, instead of the paper thin masks I saw growing up. The women I am creating are real, honest, broken, and weary. They are quirky and loving; hoping to peek out of their frames to see understanding in your face. The women of my childhood, my models of behavior growing up, were silent and passive among men and they were cruel to each other. We weren’t taught to support and hold each other up against our shared trials, but to slash and cut each other down in a sweet manner with smiles plastered on our faces. I am trying to find the boundless care and energy we all have in ourselves and pull it to the forefront. The women in my paintings are powerful and honorable and they CARE. They are the kind of woman I am trying to be.