Painting has always been a way for me to express my thoughts and feelings about various topics. Our society today is striving to become more enlightened and accepting of differences as we continue to break gender stereotypes, rewrite old-world definitions about what is proper, and reduce our environmental impact. Representations of female stereotypes are being released and set free as the subject receives an empowering “Haircut”. “Thirst” expands on this theme of female empowerment as it challenges long-held beauty standards by depicting a voluptuous plus-sized woman as a mythological creature that many women say they wish they could look like, even though it does not exist and is unattainable; juxtaposed with a warm environment and lack of water, this mermaid appears to be longing for something she can’t have. “Coping” is a portrait of a subject partaking in a stigmatized form of stress relief as he finds a temporary escape from his problems. Lastly, “Regrowth” depicts a plant struggling to survive in a dark environment which relates to environmental catastrophes like pollution, forest fires, and deforestation where life always finds a way to emerge.