Artist's Statement

This 3D watercolor piece was a labor of love that began at a time of deep personal upheaval and transformation. At the time, I wanted to reclaim what I began to see as the God-imbued gift of desire. It felt right to paint Eve as part of the process. Eve, vilified throughout history as the original temptress and catalyst for the "fall" of "mankind." Here, Eve is surrounded by the beauty of the tree. Her eyes are cast upward. Perhaps it is not the fruit she craves, but the connection. Perhaps there is only one way to find out. 

Artist's Statement

The Bible says that when Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the forbidden tree "their eyes were opened and they knew that they were naked." There is a shift in how they see the world. There is a shift in how they will inhabit it as well. 

Throughout history the Church has spent an inordinate amount of time fretting about that choice that led to what is called "the Fall." I see this as part of a different kind of seduction--the kind that is deeply rooted in patriarchal views and systems. Perhaps we would do well to focus more on our often sinful impulse to close our eyes to the world around us. With our eyes open, we might just create a world more reflective of that garden ideal.