Her lost, sad eyes struck me.
Most people just look at the surface and criticise.
November 12th 2025. I was scrolling on Facebook and came across this local-rag-clickbait-post that contained the most horrid comments.
The comments ranged from “You call that a woman?” to “She should be shot” and those were the least harsh.
I don’t really spend much time pondering what I’m going to paint, it comes to me as i’m just going about my business you see, and this was something that just struck me as important to share my perspective on.
Her lost, sad eyes struck me.
Reference photo:
Recently in the same studio session, I added the finishing touches to this piece…
Next up, a HUGE shoutout to Beth Raps for reaching her fundraising goal, thanks to all of you for donating!
Best wishes,
SLART
SLART, you're incredible, thank YOU for such solidarity in asking for gifts for the solar campaign and SHARING the video & thank-you note!
That photo is unbelievable. Unbelievable suffering in that woman's face. The experiences she has gone through that you can practically touch in her face. Your painting is actually much prettier than the original in terms of the pain it shows. In your painting, there's light and hope in her eyes. In the photo, she almost looks dead inside...rather, exhausted, worn out, and so so sad. Like she expects NOTHING from the world except abuse. I want to add that some of what you're identifying in the hideous responses is pure sexism, honest: you call that a woman? WTF. It reminds me of Sojourner Truth saying, "Aren't I a woman?" Earlier transcriptions write this as "Ain't I a woman?" and refer to this famous speech by that name. Here's a part of it: that Truth, an enslaved woman who freed herself <https://www.sojournertruth.com/> gave to a mostly white feminist conference in 1851: "That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?" I feel like the woman in the photograph could tell us a story of pain just like that one.
Oh gosh, such lack of compassion for someone in difficulty upsets me too, SLART - bravo for this very thought-provoking post. Its title, your art and your humanity are beautiful.