These pieces celebrate the young male as his options increase and expectations become less restrictive. For this series, I began with watercolours in a public setting, making each painting more experiential as the atmosphere and interaction with the subject and others had a direct influence on the outcome. Each subject represents a traditionally male archetype of the Western world. For hundreds of years his role has been clear; be a warrior, a professional, a leader, the dominant sex. As societal and gender roles have shifted, he may, on occasion, be left with an ambiguous sense of purpose, but is finally being released from the pressures of the long standing stoic model of machismo. The equalizing betterment of the world is not only empowering women to rise up but also enabling men to explore their creativity, emotions, personalities, and relationships in an honest way, and to be depicted as beautiful beings. This is a good change.

Melissa Shatto 2013