2007

From 2005-2007, I painted a series of portraits of women over 60. I was in my 40s at the time, and was starting to think more about aging, and how our society treats older women. My daughter was in preschool, and there were several wonderful teachers who had been there for years. They were strong, vibrant, loving, kind, and wise, and I wanted to try and capture their spirit. I talked to each of them when they sat for a photo and got a little of their history. Looking closely at Teacher Sue, I wanted to capture her smile and crinkles without making her look "old," and use colors she frequently wore. I was looking at Alice Neel's work, especially her use of color in shadows.