Melodies Within
She wears the dreads of my husband, a man who truly helped rescue me, and is inspired by memories of my youth, of listening to music as a means of escape from poverty and abuse.
Embedded Files
Lilac Skies
This piece is dedicated to all the strong Black women I know who bear the weight of societal expectations while burying their quiet sadness. Somehow, they remain strong and full of hope, despite all odds.
Forever Golden
a life together
forever with you,
is what a golden life
looks like to me.
Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Becoming
She has been a labor of love and frustration spanning almost a decade. As I've grown and changed as a person and an artist, so has she, going through several iterations. Almost nothing about her is the same today as it was a decade ago, which is also true for me. As I have become a different person, she has become a different version of me.
Postcard Dreams
As a child, I dreamt of all the places I'd go, all the things I'd see, all the things I'd do. But as a poor kid from Ohio, I never thought I'd actually get to do any of those things. I'm thankful for the places I've been, the things I've seen and experienced, and the things I will get to see in the future.
Winds of Change
I've always believed that change is necessary and good, but it has to be the right kind of change. The Arab Spring Uprisings of the early 2010's sparked a movement of change that was both necessary and right. The movement taught me an immense amount about a culture that I sadly knew little about, a culture that I am still learning about.
Lionheart
Part of my "Soul Series", this piece features my husband's eyes. I wanted to capture the things that make him unique - his beliefs, experiences, character, and personality. He is a strong man, a military veteran, loves the night sky, is creative, religious, and honest. He is duality, both light and dark. He is my everything.
The Long Road
Also part of my "Soul Series," this piece features my own eyes. The pieces on my face represent my internal scars, which I wear with pride. My face, a map of my travels. My hair, the creativity and positivity that I try to share with the world. I am facing the light, looking forward, always trying to be strong.
Untitled
Untitled
I've debated calling this piece "Untitled," but not because it's waiting on a title; rather, it is a reflection of my life. It is an untitled journey - a journey that is still being written. I just always know that at the end of that journey, home will always be waiting for me.
- or -
Falling Home
Falling Home
When this was incomplete, I thought of it as "Free Falling." Home wasn't always a stable concept in my head, but now that it is, I'm no longer careening thru the air with no destination or safety net. I'm no longer free falling; instead, I'm falling home.
Of the Moon (unfinished)
I was going through a rough patch at work, accused of something that I didn't do without justification or proof. No matter how much it hurt me, no matter how hard it was, I couldn't let them see what it was doing to me. So, I kept my face hidden, kept my turmoil inside, only letting it out in my artwork, until I could clear my name.
By the Sun (unfinished)
When it was all said and done and I realized there would be no justice, I burned with rage. I wanted to burn everything down. But even feeling like that, even with anger flowing through me like lava, I refused to let them see the way they'd injured me; instead, I channeled it, and will continue to, because they can never have the satisfaction of breaking me.
Well Loved (unfinished)
I'd just had surgery and found myself helpless, completely dependent upon my husband to take care of me. I felt battered and bruised, like I'd just lost a part of myself, and his care made me feel loved and whole. This piece is dedicated to him because I want him to know that, even though this life has left him battered and bruised, he is loved, just as he loves me.
Into the Darkness (Unfinished)
This is based on a recurring nightmare. I'm running through the woods, away from something or someone. I'm terrified but can't scream. Can't turn around but know that I need to get away. Can see moonlight filtering down and hear running water, but can't see it. All I can do is crash further into the darkness.
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