Faces

Fifty Faces: Defacing Stigma is a project of 50 large scale portraits that I painted in an 18 month period. The portraits are my friends, family, acquaintances and strangers. Due to a life changing personal experience this became a project to help raise awareness for those suffering the devastating effects of the stigma of mental illness. One in five of the 50 models who participated bravely shared with me that they are dealing with some form of mental illness. These people could be your neighbors, co-workers or friends. They can look and act like someone with a healthy mental state while suffering terribly on the inside. We can help by being educated and compassionate. Look on my blog page to view a video of their personal stories and experiences with mental illness.