When I found the broken Florida Fighting Conch from which this painting is derived, I envisioned the famous Greek Statue of the Goddess Nike which is named “The Winged Victory of Samothrace”.
This Faded Beauty is broken yet beautiful, jagged and smooth. She stands tall when hung vertically and lies gracefully on her side.
There is an inner light within all people. Very often it is clouded over by anger and fear, jealousy or sorrow. This light is within everyone just the same. To have the desire and willingness to get in touch with this inner light, brings peace and joy.
The broken, inner edges of the Fighting Conch are white. Emphasizing this in “The Goddess”, I am guiding the viewer’s eye around her edges and inside to her core. In so doing I hope to raise awareness of each individual’s own inner light and to encourage the viewer to look for this light in every person they meet.