Subway Sonnet #91
As I create these paintings with a narrative of strong women over time I continue to learn about more powerful women and also continue honoring those we have known. There are so many women who have contributed to the course of history and have helped paved the way for us.
I want to inspire and elevate women and I feel by honoring those before us and those current we can continue to push forward and inspire. Sometimes I am asked why I put a particular woman in a work or a collector may not know who someone on the painting is.
I have decided that moving forward every painting with the narrative of strong women will have a QR code on it somewhere that will lead to its page like this on my website that will talk about all the women on the painting.
I hope to inspire, honor and educate.
Amanda C. Gorman
Amanda C. Gorman is an American poet and activist. Her work focuses on issues of oppression, feminism, race, and marginalization, as well as the African diaspora.
Gorman was the first person to be named National Youth Poet Laureate. She published the poetry book The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough in 2015. In 2021, she delivered her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden.
Read more about Amanda Gorman on Wikipedia.
Photo: Annie Leibovitz, Vogue, May 2021
CHRISSIE HYNDE
Christine Ellen Hynde Over the past four decades, Hynde has fine-tuned a seemingly unflappable exterior in the face of trouble. Her toughness helped her move through the male-dominated rock world of the late Seventies, helped her endure the drug overdoses that killed two bandmates early in the Pretenders’ career, helped her raise children at the peak of her fame.
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin was an African-American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".
With global sales of over 75 million records, Franklin is one of the world's best-selling music artists.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg spent a lifetime flourishing in the face of adversity before being appointed a Supreme Court justice, where she successfully fought against gender discrimination and unified the liberal block of the court.
Nina Simone
“The High Priestess of Soul,” Nina Simone was a singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Mostly known as a jazz singer, her music blended gospel, blues, folk, pop, and classical styles. No popular singer was more closely associated with the Civil Rights Movement than Simone.
Lozen was a warrior and prophet of the Chihenne Chiricahua Apache. She was the sister of Victorio, a prominent chief. Born into the Chihenne band during the 1840s, Lozen was, according to legends, able to use her powers in battle to learn the movements of the enemy. According to James Kaywaykla, Victorio introduced her to Nana, "Lozen is my right hand ... strong as a man, braver than most, and cunning in strategy. Lozen is a shield to her people".
Caresse Crosby
In 1910, at age 19, Polly was preparing to attend yet another débutante ball one evening. As was customary, she put on a corset stiffened with whalebone and a restrictive, tight corset cover that flattened and jammed her large breasts together into a single monobosom. "Bring me two of my pocket handkerchiefs and some pink ribbon . And bring the needle and thread and some pins She fashioned the handkerchiefs and ribbon into a simple bra. She was mobbed after the dance by other girls who wanted to know how she moved so freely, and when she showed her new garment to friends the next day, they all wanted one. One day, she received a request for one of her contraptions from a stranger, who offered a dollar for her efforts. She knew then that this could become a viable business.
Madam C.J. Walker
Madam C.J. Walker was an African American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist. She is recorded as the first female self-made millionaire in America in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Make it stand out
Madonna Louise Ciccone is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", Madonna is noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, and visual presentation. She has pushed the boundaries of artistic expression in mainstream music, while maintaining control over every aspect of her career.
Grace Jones
She may be a style icon and all-round star. But 40 years on from her seminal LP Warm Leatherette, she should be recognised foremost as a musical trailblazer,