Living between art and multiple sclerosis
A Portrait Rooted in Radiance
This week, I introduce Sunlit Gaze, a 12×12 mixed-media artwork that celebrates inner light, resilience, and womanhood. At its center, a plus-size woman stands beside two vibrant sunflowers. Her amber-brown hair glows in harmony with her syrup-colored eyes and soft pink lips. But more than her appearance, it is her presence that draws you in, a quiet confidence that feels both grounded and luminous.
This painting speaks directly to everyday women, especially those between 25 and 65, who are reclaiming their sense of worth, redefining beauty on their own terms, and learning to be seen fully.
Layers that Tell a Story
The creative process behind Sunlit Gaze reflects the emotional depth it carries. I began by layering paper and gesso to build a textured foundation that felt raw and alive. From there, I poured acrylic inks, allowing the colors to move freely and create organic flows. Finally, I applied gel sticks, rich, creamy pigments that added contrast, light, and life.
Each material held a different kind of energy. The texture offered grounding, the ink brought fluidity, and the gel sticks added clarity. Together, they echoed the process of peeling back our own layers, of discovering who we are beneath the expectations and noise.
The Power of Sunflower Symbolism
Sunflowers carry a rich and enduring symbolism. They follow the sun with devotion but also know how to grow in its absence. That’s what makes them powerful symbols of hope and resilience. In Sunlit Gaze, the two sunflowers are more than background: they are companions to the woman’s journey. They reflect her strength, her softness, and her capacity to shine from within.
Their placement in the composition mirrors how self-love grows: not all at once, but in quiet moments, side by side with vulnerability.
A Voice Within the Golden Bloom Collection
This painting is part of the Golden Bloom subcollection, where floral elements and feminine strength come together. Each piece in this series explores different aspects of blooming: self-acceptance, healing, and transformation. Sunlit Gaze offers a visual meditation on what it means to root ourselves in worth, regardless of how others see us.
Beauty, this collection reminds us, is not a reward, it’s a return to the truth of who we are. And that return often begins in stillness and softness.
A Reminder to Let Yourself Be Seen
Whether you’re deep in your blooming season or simply turning toward the light, Sunlit Gaze holds space for you. It is a painting that doesn’t ask for perfection. It simply invites presence.
Let this piece remind you that your story, your body, your essence, all of it, is worthy of being seen. Sometimes, the bravest thing we can do is just allow ourselves to show up as we are. And that, too, is a kind of bloom.
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