Unzipped.

"I created Unzipped" in response to the challenge of creating a self-portrait that was more than just representational in the literal sense. I wanted to create a drawing that expresses my heart, my soul and the essence of my being. I started out at the base with a realistic grey graphite drawing of my face being unzipped by my hand. A scene pours out and unfolds above, symbolizing my life and what makes me who I am. At the base of the scene the tangled roots of a tree represent my family history. Native American symbols, a German Black Eagle, and a Celtic cross are a few of the symbols woven into the roots in earthy browns. The tree, my family tree, springs out from the roots of my ancestors and is full of lively green leaves, with a trunk of golden DNA that stretches into the future and the past, touching all of the generations ahead and behind me. Whirling masses of color and liquid texture represent my experiences and the memories left behind by these experiences. Besides my heritage and upbringing, these memories have constructed me into who I am as a person, whether those memories are dark or light. Unfolding above the experiences and the foliage of the trees, a flock of doves mediates between physical reality and the spiritual realm. A vibrant golden mandala of light and pattern radiates the peace and truth inherent in creation and the birthright of love that is available to all of us, an aspect of life that is not unique to me but that is a part of every living being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]