I am, first and foremost, a mother of a 16 year old young man. My son was in kindergarten when I decided to quit my job and open an art gallery. The fact that I was losing time with him made me quit my “corporate” job. It hurt my soul that I wasn’t spending time with him any more; his teachers and grandmother were raising him. It would be so late by the time I picked him up in the evening that I would only have about two hours with him before bedtime. Choosing my son over work pushed me into following my dream. My art gallery was a place I could share with him and show him how important it is to follow your dreams.

In 2008, I left The Bahamas and went back to school to get my Bachelors degree in Graphic Design. Again, it has been all about my son - the need to be a stable disciplinarian and be there for the important and precious moments in his life.

I have grown intentionally, in both body and mind, throughout adulthood. As a young adult, I was called terrible names, and people tried to “motivate” me with mean comments about my body, even offering me money to lose weight. Family members told me they were embarrassed to be seen with me, and boyfriends expressed dissatisfaction with my body. I struggled with the body I lived in until my beautiful awakening.

I’ve been painting nudes for 20 years, and it started as an act of rebellion. I did it for shock value. Raised in a modest home where nudity was never spoken of, I knew my parents wouldn’t be pleased. Conservative Bahamian culture made it particularly difficult for my father to accept my art.

I pushed through my twenties, when my self esteem was at rock bottom, having to defend my work. Today, I love myself without apology, and my art speaks for itself. Entering this new phase of my career, I am publishing an art book. This is one more step toward my dream of obtaining an MFA in Painting.