01/07/2025
Painting Medusa's portrait has taken 13 months. These 13 months began with a dream of a fully realized vision of Medusa's portrait and the story that she wanted to reveal. I spent the next several months researching different perspectives of her mythology. I eventually came to the story of her life as half mortal, half God, and the atrocities she endured at the hands of Gods and mortals.
This painting depicts her staring at the viewer, standing in her strength, and showing her story in one complex composition. At the beginning of the 13-month process, I lost a dear friend and then my heart dog shortly after. For the next five months, I lost myself in a deep hibernation fueled by grief. In the eighth month, I emerged from the cave I had retreated into, and dancing with Medusa's portrait became a bit more frequent.
The last four months working on this portrait have revealed just as much about myself as they have uncovered her voice aside from her cruel victimization. Each time I painted, I grew in her strength and unapologetic confidence. I am forever changed by the process of painting Medusa.
This is the first in a series of 12 portraits of extraordinary females whose unique story has yet to be told in this way. I invite you to follow me on this journey. I am ever grateful for what is revealed through the process.
