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This Is Who We Are… “and we are not going back” This collection of new work is currently available as a set for gallery/museum exhibition. Pricing of individual work and/or prints of each image is available on request - contact Launda@Launda.com
	Shelby - “I represent myself” Shelby represents another student of mine. She was an individual, not wanting to represent anything other than herself, as that’s all any of us really can do. But time and again she would be asked to speak for the group, offer reasons and solutions. She wasn’t going to be assigned to a position simply because of her looks
	Maoko - “Say you’re sorry” Maoko means honest child in Japanese. Maoko represents the remaining aging Comfort Women from WW2, wanting the Japanese government to acknowledge the truth and say they’re sorry before they’re dead. These women were taken from their villages and used as sex slaves for the soldiers and then just left to die. I learned of these women from a young girl performing their story at the Vagina Monologues last year. This girl gave such a haunting performance of their plight I simply couldn’t get it out of my head. This story is still playing out in current wars, Darfur, Sudan, Congo, and Iraq. Women and girls bring life into the world; our humanity shouldn’t be taken as a war prize
	Rose - “Trust me to find my way.” Rose was one of my students, she asked for the class to send positive energy her way in order to deal with her parents. Rose wanted to live her life the way she saw fit, her parents had another plan. Rose always had a far away look and never seemed fulfilled. Yet
	Lucinda - “My journey.” My Italian grandmother had the most amazing eyes and heart, her quest for growth under an oppressive family was subtle but none the less there. She had dreams and visions, some fulfilled, some not, still her warmth, strength and passion lives on in my memories, as I work to fulfill my dreams and fit the puzzle pieces together
	Izzy - “I know the truth.” I love the name Izzy. She represents me so many years ago on a night when my ex betrayed my trust, refusing to speak the truth ‘till he was forced to. Change can either break us or inspire a new journey. After that night, my new journey began and I am grateful
	Elizabeth - “I will not cover up to make you comfortable.” This piece again deals with my mother; she always wore a terrible wig to cover her baldness. It was hot and uncomfortable, yet she was embarrassed by her lack of hair and how people would react to her, so she suffered the fake hair for others, even though she was the one in pain. Our society judges us on how we look and conform to norms. We need to rebel. We need to accept each other and if people don’t accept, well it just doesn’t matter. We need to ourselves no matter what life throws our way. Changes always occur so ready or not world we’re doing it our way
	Drucilla - “Don’t Wait.” This was inspired by my mother who has survived breast cancer twice. Her last bout with cancer was stage four; the prognosis was not favorable, yet she never quit fighting. I wanted to help her feel better by getting her a massage. She didn’t want one as she felt she was less of a woman with only one breast and didn’t want to be seen. This painting hopefully conveys we are beautiful with or without our breasts. Our beauty comes from within; our sexuality is defined not by our shapes but how confidently we shine. My mother shines
	Tara - “I think I’ll keep it on this finger, for now” Tara is biting her lip in hesitation of making a life changing decision. Marry and possibly become someone else or stay true to her nature and find her own path, which is why she’s surrounded and becoming part of nature with flowers from her body. Maybe she’ll do both eventually
	Marima - “I’m still here, doing it my way.” Marima is West African, meaning gift of god. She’s seen times change and changed with the times. Her enduring beauty and strength are lasting. Wisdom comes with time and there are costs that have been paid
	Margaret - “Hell fire, I’d like you better if you let me do all the talking.” This is dedicated to my grandmother who always had an answer for everything and seldom listened to anyone
	Kali - “I will only be your everything” She won’t settle, it’s all or nothing, you better be wiling to give everything
	Elle - “I can’t help myself” This is a woman’s betrayal of another woman due to her lack of self-esteem. She will lose herself and gain nothing
	Saluda - “Please let this be alright.” Saluda is Cherokee (which I am part) for green corn place and Spanish for health. She represents all the women who wait till later in life to start a family, hoping the health of their babies will be blessed by their dedication to organic, natural foods and holistic life choices, which will hopefully outweigh their advancing age
	Sophia - “Forever Beauty.” This painting started the series of stories. My gray hair kept sprouting as quickly as flowers do after a good spring rain, even showing up in my eyebrows. I decided to let nature take over and then the comments on how much older I would look with gray hair, “what a shame.” This disturbed me, why can men be distinguished with silver hair and women must forever try to be young. We are beautiful at every age. Beauty doesn’t lie in an unlined face and firm body only. Beauty is in all of us, even more so when we age because we’ve lived and experienced life and hopefully it shows
	Karen - “Being Myself” She has many roles; mother, wife, daughter, co-worker and many know her in these roles and define her by these roles. I know her for her warmth, ability to laugh at herself and her grace surrounded by color
	Netta - “Catch me while I’m here” Netta has places to go, people to meet and will only allow a limited few to tag along on her journey. She has no time for untruths and pleasantries for the sake of pleasantries. We need more people who say it to our faces the way it really is
	Stephanie - "Ever changing"
Other Works
	"Through the Garden Window" Acrylic on canvas, 2006 Price on request
	"The Mind's Garden" Acrylic on canvas, 2006 Price on request
	"Shards" Acrylic on canvas, 2006 Details to follow
	"Mindless Abandon" Acrylic on canvas, 2005 11"x 14" $350
	"Breaking through to Colour" Mixed Media on canvas, 2005 16" x 20" $200
	"Political Landscape II" Mixed Media on canvas, 2005 36" x 40"
	"Political Landscape III" Mixed Media on canvas, 2005 16"x 20" $350
	"Tangled Borders" Mixed Media on canvas, 2005 16"x 12" $350 Jackson Area Art Show - January 22nd - March 9th 2006
	"Ritual" Oil on Canvas, 2005 16"x 20" In private collection of Stephanie Pierce, Grand Rapids, MI
	"Cordon Free" Oil on Canvas, 2005 14"x 18" $400
	"The Kite Flyer" Acrylic on Canvas, 2005 16"x 20" In private collection
	"Define Terrorism (1)" Oil on Canvas, 2002 22"x 28" $1,500
	"Define Terrorism (2)" Oil on Canvas, 2002 22"x 28" $1,500
	"Reflection" Oil on Canvas, 2000 In private collection of Charlene Schneider, Ohio
	"Solitude" Oil on Canvas, 2002 16"x 20" In private collection of Angela Gray, England
	"Lambent" Oil on Canvas, 2002 12"x 14" $300
	"Inward Journey" Oil on Canvas, 2003 10"x 12" $275
	"Negotiating the Edge" Oil on Canvas, 2002 16"x 20" $450
	"Igneous" Oil on Canvas, 2002 12"x 10" $275

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