The artwork “Hope” is one of my most profound paintings, and I get asked all the time about the meaning. I thought it might be nice to share a little description and more about the meaning of Hope here!

Hope is the name of the girl, and she represents all women.

Let’s start at the bottom of the painting…her legs. She has some sassy boots on to represent that bit of spunk that is in her nature.

The cage for her skirt is her “secret treasures”. These are the little collection of random things that (for whatever silly reasons) bring her joy. She keeps these things tucked away, and they serve as her foundation. She builds her character on a foundation of joy. There is no door on this cage, so no one can ever steal her happiness from her. It is hers alone.

Her form is waifish and thin. This represents her feelings of herself–that she will never be “enough”, or that the slightest winds of adversity might just blow her over. (Even though this isn’t true. Hope is very strong, but this represents her FEELINGS of insecurity.) Her neck is elongated to represent her vulnerability. She tries her best to cover up her insecurity and vulnerability, though (as represented in her turtleneck top).

On her head are two feathers. The colors represent white for royalty, and red for the pain endured to get where she is. These feathers, and the fact that she is a princess, aren’t always forefront on her mind; but it is WHO SHE IS. Even if it is the last thing on her mind, it still defines her.

The tear falling from her eye shows that life isn’t always easy. In fact, it is often hard.

In one hand, she is holding a spider. These are her fears. Those sticky little bugs are hard to shake, and sometimes impossible to let go. She doesn’t ever stop trying, but their proximity reminds her of her humanity. She chooses not to focus on these fears, but instead sets her eyes on her hopes and dreams.

Her hopes and dreams are represented by the tree. This is the plan for her life…her growth as an individual. If you look closely, you can see a few branches just starting to bud. These represent the hope she carries that her life will actually one day match the dreams she carries in her heart. She holds her hopes high and places incredible value on these. Sometimes, even hopes and dreams can be hard to bear. They often don’t come true as quickly as we would like. They usually require intensely hard work, don’t look like what we had thought they would look like, etc. Holding them up is a struggle (as represented by the roots digging into her upraised arm). The glove represents her practiced coping strategies. These shield her from the hardest parts of carrying her dreams until they are fully realized.

You can find framable prints of Hope here, and canvas reproductions can be custom-made. Send me a message if you’d like one!