Pin-Up Moms

What mother hasn't felt a certain loss of identity after giving birth?

How can a busy new mother reconnect with her old self while raising a new one?

I always used art as a way to express my ideas and observations, but never before have my works been so introspective. Although I'll admit, I never came out of a cake myself.

The Pin-Up Moms collection is not only an inspiration for women to feel sexy while being great mothers, it also represents how our society accepts mothers as sex symbols -- as edgy and provocative as the Pin-Ups were in the middle of last Century. It is about embracing motherhood as one more asset as opposed to a liability.

As a new mother, my life recently took a turn no one could have prepared me for. Time, energy and daily life took a whole new meaning and so did the perception of myself. The idea for Pin-Up Moms came to me like a bus on the street. After emerging from the loss of self-identity that followed giving birth to my amazing little boy, I suddenly realized that not only are we stronger and more resourceful than ever as mothers,, but also that we are still as sexy as the original Pin-Up Girls.

We live at a fantastic time where being a mother is no longer frowned upon; where breastfeeding is acceptable almost everywhere, where single mothers are as desirable as childless women, where a woman looking great does not mean she is a bad girl. Pin-Up Moms is an explosion of colour and energy, inspired by the joy of having found balance and power after such a life transformation.

I feel lucky to have found a medium to inspire and connect with other mothers while being able to spend time with my son. I want him to share my dreams and know that life changes| no matter how challenging, can be stepping stones. My son and I both had fun working on the series. Not only was he the main inspiration for the collection, he also participated a great deal by helping me paint while I held him. He also drew abstract contributions at the back of most canvases.

So far| the response to the collection while still in development has been amazing. My greatest surprise is how men have also welcomed the collection.

The Pin-up Moms will be unleashed at the Libra Room at 1608 Commercial Drive in Vancouver on April 3rd at 5PM.