As ever-changing beings, the idea of capturing a portrait seems in vain. My work is not about realistic portraits but of the person captured through color and emotion. The female figure is of most interest to me. Ideas of her growth in sexuality and loss of innocence are often an underlying subject.In today's political conversations women are reclaiming their bodies and rights. I feel being a woman painting women is another way to empower these actions. Growing up I studied mostly male painters who laid the foundation of figure painting. I wish to further those historic stepping stones but with the perspective of a woman. I apply oil paint and pencil onto canvas for most of my work. The harsh manner in which the paint dries, aides to the exterior persona of my subjects at hand. Color plays a large role and often strays away from human skin tones. My technique is fluid with the brush whilst linework contains the painting into a viable image.Though not abstract, my work is inaccurate to human anthropometry. Using color, technique, and my own emotion I create a figure that aims to arouse curiosity. The setting in which each figure is placed differs. Some are in a vulnerable state, looking defeated and full of anguish. Some are in a more playful manner while others are strong and confident. Combining each setting with a variation of the female form depicts ideas of emotional struggle that comes from our loss of innocence and growth as women in society. I alter the norms and redirect the viewer to think beyond a woman's sexual appearance. In doing so I convey the ever-changing dynamic we have within ourselves. I wish to continue down this path and extend my work further into full figure group paintings. As an artist, I'm constantly learning about my medium and reevaluating what the female figure means to me. I feel it's not only necessary to extend the size in which I work but also to put these figures into social gatherings for this experience to continue.