“Battle Scars” is a series of oil paintings depicting the female, post-partum body. The paintings show close-up views of stretch marks and c-section scars, all of which appear to be abstract to the unaware viewer. The goal is for the viewer to see the paintings as something beautiful, both before and after realizing what they are meant to be. Each of the paintings represents a deeply personal experience of a specific mother. The scar patterns are created from photos provided from twelve different models and the colors and titles are all representative of their unique experiences. Every line, every stretchmark tells a story. I created this series to bring to light something that should be celebrated and viewed as a sign of strength, and not just something that needs to be “fixed”.
