Emerging from isolation and choosing to present myself for viewing provides opportunities to see the conflicting ways bodies like mine are viewed. This choice was mine but felt like the only path of life available for me. Showing my existence as complicated and worthy invites those who disagree to present conflicting views. Through Dissonance I highlight the isolation where discomfort is formed and reinforced; where shades of blue and red, reminiscent of harmful marks, surround me, separating from me... left unresolved. My prominently abundant body, dimpled, claiming space, resting in the light while looking back at the shadows, carries the fears of others. Fears that do not come from within me.   

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Pleasing sounds of appreciation for my body, that I unexpectedly found online, clash with the fears of others, helping me carry the weight and lift my brush to canvas. Inspiring me to seek a different view, to let go of fear, remove the burden, to find my own appreciation. 

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The act of looking at my body, slowly finding myself with each stroke, requires me to connect with those that find my body appealing. Each stroke contains appreciation I could not find while surrounded by fear. I call the people who inspire me to create my collaborators. Dave was my first collaborator. His words brought poetic appreciation to the parts of me I was forbidden to love. He inspired me to seek harmony and paint Dissonance.