Everyone in My Family Has Been Inside My Body

I’m a woman. I’ve had a man inside me. I’ve had a child inside me. I’m thinking a lot about autonomy, body autonomy, independence, dependence, interconnectedness, our needs, how to honor our own needs as individuals while being a partner and parent of a young child.

I am exhausted. And this painting is about that. I painted in the longest summer of my life, where everything fell apart, when my mom died and I had no child care. As I’ve struggled to find space and quiet to sit with myself as a woman with herself. I’ve struggled to find time when I can lay down the mantle of wife and mother and I can just be with myself.

Everyone in my family has been inside my body.

Wow. 

24x48” mixed media on canvas