Initially, I was working on figurative paintings exploring the information that is conveyed by a small shift in posture, or angle of the head. These pieces all featured faceless images, and gender was often implied only by size. In working on these pieces I began to think about the experiences of women, and what their body language was saying about them. It then occurred to me that there exists a commonality in the struggles and joys that all females have. All cultures have expectations of the female gender, all cultures have aesthetic ideals, all cultures have a “pecking order” among women. These can be expanded into almost endless subcategories. My purpose in this painting journey is to contemplate these likenesses and illustrate them expressively. I am by no means an expert on these topics. I am not a physician, an anthropologist, or any of the like. I do however read extensively on the topics I want to explore. Self worth, body image, balancing social demands, and expectations of mothering are just the beginning…stay tuned!
SaraMcDowellArtist 