Too Late, Hands Off!, Oil portrait on oil & mixed media 24 x 18

Here is a painting of Jayd. She is a kick-ass, caring person and has become open about sharing her story, along with the hardships and abuses she has endured, so that others may learn from it. Here is what she writes:

“In the beginning of my life, I felt like I was an object for the manipulative and angry people around me to abuse. I understood myself to be valueless, at best. My parents both had Ph.D’s in education; however, I was diagnosed with malnutrition twice as a young child, put in extreme danger on multiple occasions, and a witness to the abuse of my three older sisters.

Then, at age 26, I had an epiphany!

This was back in the 90’s in Merida, Venezuela. I had married into a wealthy family whom cared deeply about appearances and social standing. This family seemed to have no limit in berating and humiliating me. The family had servants for just about everything and detested any type of manual labor. This seemed to be a common attitude among the wealthy. One day, my husband came home with a couple who were interested in purchasing a condominium unit in my in-law’s building. My husband and the couple, upon entering, saw me on the floor playing with my children. The three of them gave me very disapproving looks. That’s when it happened.

My epiphany! It was as if a bolt of enlightenment struck through my skill and entered my brain. I was suddenly convinced that I was important, beautiful, intelligent, amazing, and all the people who had told me otherwise were crazy!

I got up, put a Jane Fonda workout video on, and the kids and I worked out while laughing hysterically for hours. I played the video 3 times that day in an attempt to burn off my energy.

Shortly after, I divorced, returned to the U.S., and began my new life as an important, beautiful, intelligent and amazing woman. I grew to become an attorney and an artist, among other things. I married a man who truly loves me and we have raised happy children together. I do not want for anything!

Please take my advice, don’t let the ugly people in this world color you; because, they will always get it wrong!

P.S., Robert D. Tennyson, tenured professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota, you can f*@& right off!”