“Painting and creativity, particularly portraits, has given me a voice and a release of my heart at two levels:

“It is a response and voice to world issues that I have encountered in my international work — corruption, injustice, domination, oppression, sorrow, poverty, grief, pain, war, etc.

“It is also a response to my own wrestling with pain, grief, disappointments, fears, beliefs, joys, and search for truth.

“It is both a personal journey, as well as global in nature.

“For instance, painting portraits of women helps me express both their beauty as well as their resilience and perseverance, despite the endless challenges they face in every country I have encountered.” - Paulette