Our Biological Duty – 24″x36″ watercolor and gesso on watercolor paper

I created this piece to explore the concept of “Mother Earth” and aimed to integrate nature, or the Earth planet, with the female figure. The woman represents all women, and challenges the idea that their biological duty is to reproduce. The biological duty of women is far greater – to create and support future generations. This duty is not unique to women, however, and therefore this woman represents all of humanity. We ingest the earth by nourishing ourselves, and affect her future with how we behave. Humanity today is tasked with protecting the earth, creating the future, and delivering the planet of tomorrow to our children. Maintaining a livable, sustainable world is a common imperative that we all share, and the power to save lies within us, as does the power to destroy. We mustn’t think of Earth as external to us, but rather a force that emanates from everything on our planet, a force that flows to us and through us and from us.