In 2016, I was fortunate to be selected by an international committee to present my new series ‘The Olive Women‘ in one of the most important art events in the world: the XI Florence Biennale 2017. This annual art event took place October in Florence, Italy, October 6th through 15th.

Using GoFundMe.com as a fundraising platform, I created a campaign for securing my exhibit space at the Biennale, plus the costs of shipping my art, transportation, and lodging for the dates of attending the event in Florence.

I was selected to exhibit and asked for sponsorship of my project for several reasons. First, the theme of this Florence Biennale was ‘Earth: Creativity and Sustainability‘ and that is what my Olive Women represent, for they are inspired from ancient olive trees. They are mythical figures created by my imagination while sitting under an olive tree in my partner’s olive grove. While watching my partner pick olives the old fashioned way, I drew the amazing figures that I saw in those trees. Letting my imagination fly away, inspiration became a force in the most spontaneous way that sparked creativity, portraying women as ancient as those olive trees; as givers of life. And I came to realize that like mother nature cradles earth, my drawings portray how these ‘Olive Women’ cradle sustainability. They are diverse in all their shapes and forms, but are one in unity of spirit with the gift of motherhood as the base of sustainability.

Here you can view the pieces as they were exhibited at the event and learn more about its success.