Beautiful Maternity - Feminine Support (11by14) Poster

I am an artist with a passion for painting maternity, pregnancy, birth and nursing. Women are amazing! This powerful, yet soft piece depicts a labouring woman who is far away in labour land, relaxing in between contractions while her body recuperates and builds up strength for the next wave as the birth of her child draws nearer. Her face is barely visible as she slumps into the side of the birth pool and focuses completely inward. I wanted the birth pool to look soft and almost malleable as it is a metaphor for the labouring woman's birth bubble. Her arm is extended out of it to demonstrate that she is partially in her own entire world, yet still present and connected with her surroundings. She is focused. I wanted this piece to be entirely feminine, so the birth partner is another woman. She might be a midwife, a doula, a sister or a friend. She is mothering and nurturing the mother, filling her cup with the tenderness that will soon be poured out on the new little baby. The partner is a strong, steady, calm presence, holding a cloth to the mother's head to meet both her physical need for cool and her emotional need to know she is not alone. I find myself gazing at both women in this scene with awe. I admire the labouring mother for her strength and focus, as she brings forth life. And I admire the support partner for her intuitive, selfless care that she administers with feminine genius.