Women’s March 2017

I came up with the idea for this painting while I was watching the coverage of the Women’s March. I had a vision of a woman embracing the earth gently, protecting it from harm. I wasn’t able to make it to a protest but I was following along closely with everyone who was.

It’s been a rough couple of months for a lot of people, and the political situation seems to get worse every single day. It’s been encouraging seeing so many people in my life stand up for what they believe in without fear.

Just a few years ago I would have been afraid to speak out about feminist issues on social media, for all sorts of reasons. What if people didn’t like me anymore? What if they felt threatened by what I had to say, and came after me? Now I feel like these issues are too important to be silent on. I’m proud to be a feminist. I’ve learned too much to close my eyes and keep my mouth shut.

I’m going to keep painting and my work will continue to be shaped by my beliefs.