'Penelope' - My view on subtle nudity in art

Oh, have I been doubting posting this one on my Instagram. I don’t know why I get so weird about it but I suppose it has to do with the way I present myself as an artist and children’s book illustrator. Do I really want to post artwork with some light nudity when I’m illustrating for children’s books?

This quote once shared with me by my husband: ‘Create art that you want to be known for, not what you think people want’ has been stuck with me ever since. Because I know deep down in my heart that I want to create my girls in all their sad, sullen, nerdy, and sometimes nude ways. Art is all about expressing yourself, and I’ll always stand by my passion for creating these women. Why nude? Because I think women are beautiful, and we’re made a certain way, and why should we hide it?

So I made a decision. I will keep creating the art I want to create but I won’t share my nude girls on my Instagram page. Instead, I will post a sneak-peek of the art and direct people to my website, where I’ll be posting my nude girls listed under the ‘fine art’ section.

So here’s Penelope. Let me know in the comments below if you love and appreciate her, and if you think I should continue making more. Thank you all!