Woman with Red Lips

Words have a greater sting if they come from red, lush lips.

There are 3 reasons I love this painting and is such a part of my life, and why I did not sell her for a long while.

Reason No. 1 is her eyes. I painted this reflection of myself in my early twenties. I knew then I loved imperfect women. If you take great detail into each eye, you can make out that one is larger than the other. But both are wide open to finding her calling in this great big world that was opened to her early on in life. As many young brown women are trying to find their paths in this present changing world, I was no exception at that early age. I myself have green eyes; yet, I painted her eyes blue because that was either the beautiful color of the Arizona sky where I lived or subconsciously because that was the acceptable color at the time. My faith in humanity is held with the beautiful blue Arizona sky.

Reason No. 2 is her nose. Her nose definitely is mine. Often through my life many asked why I would not change my nose removing the bone sticking out from the top and having my nose straightened out. “You would look so much prettier if you did not have that bone,” many opinionated. Little did they know, I did not have any issues being pretty. One the thought of re-constructive surgery did cross my mind several times, and two, I grew into liking then loving it. It is very difficult to be different in a world where many are the same and accepted. If I altered my nose, then no one would know my heritage, culture, or race. How would my Father recognize me once I passed if I had?

Reason No. 3 are her lips hence the name of the painting. I had a difficult time expressing myself orally when I was young. Once I learned how to use my words, they flowed much sweeter and had a greater sting if they came from fully, lush painted lips. All my women have these lips because they are distorted women who know how to speak their minds and embrace their beauty. Now, the word comes in written, visual, and oral.

Mun