Becoming

This 36X36 inch oil painting on linen centers on a young woman in a private moment of attention and awakening — pausing to smell a flower, absorbed in scent, beauty, and presence. The gesture is simple, but symbolic: a moment of recognition, inwardness, and becoming.

The work reflects themes of feminine identity, transformation, and spiritual self-recognition. I wanted to suggest a coming-of-age that is not defined by external validation but by inner awareness — a growing recognition of divine origin, inherent worth, and personal beauty. The act of smelling the flower becomes an act of receiving — of allowing goodness and truth to be experienced directly and personally.