The Bountiful Series

Angel  part of Bountiful Series - 12" X 12" - acrylic on canvas

In the first six months of 2013, I created a painting series called Bountiful. It is a series with images of large sized women enjoying life. My initial purpose in creating Bountiful was to portray large women as unabashedly proud, confident and unintimidated by their large sizes. I wanted to show them as capable of showing off their form to the masses without having to hide their perceived body image as shameful or defective. Bountiful is therefore a series of whimsical figures shown against a backdrop of of bright colors. Rather than offering the image of large woman as subdued, Bountiful blasts her image in your face with large buttocks, breasts, thighs shown as signs of beauty and adoration.

I also have a second reason for creating Bountiful. I am at a time in my life where the concerns of everyday life that previously held me back and prevented me from enjoying each day are less important. After surviving a diagnosis of Leukemia in 2010, I’m faced with living each day to the fullest. It’s a wonderful time. Bountiful has helped me face the demons that yes, I am imperfect whether in body type, age or personality. Bountiful’s answer to these perceived demons is, “So what? Join the masses in your imperfections. You are not alone.”

So, there you have it. The Bountiful Series. It is my answer to accepting who you are. It is my way of discarding the woes of imperfection and shaking off the pressures of achieving perfection in this imperfect world we live in.