Living in a society where few of us can be ourselves, or we suffer abuse from the politically correct police (PC Police, AKA, liberals with guilt). Growing up in San Francisco Bay Area, a place known to have the largest number of PC Police per capita, it was and is a constant struggle to be myself without being labeled something that I am not.

I struggle because I am a very bad liar and cannot contain myself when confronted and when you speak of things people do not want to hear, especially when it is the truth, they have the tendency to tune you out or label you as something they dislike and simply dismiss your opinion based on the label.

When did putting up a PC facade become the meaning of liberalism (I think it was in the 80s)? Why can't we just call it as we see it? If that is liberalism, I am not a liberal and do not support this brand of liberalism. Some have called me a "radial" just because I like to quote Cherrie Moraga and read Karl Marx. Others have labeled me a "conservative," just because I do not "Bow Down" to the PC police. This labeling trend is very disturbing. Since it seems to be the very opposite of what "they" preach.

"If by a 'Liberal' they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicious that grip us in out policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a 'Liberal,' then I'm proud to say I'm a 'Liberal.'"

- Senator John F. Kennedy 9/14/1960

I found that painting is an effective way of getting my point across, yet caused far less hostile and abusive responses. People expect Artists to tell the truth, but do not of average folks. Controversial topics are often taboo at the dinner table, yet uncontroversial art is considered boring. A controversial artist is considered to have an edge, a controversial guy next door is to be avoided. Painting to me was the perfect way to bring two things that are most important in my life: My love for visual arts and my involvement in community activism.

My paintings tell a story, not only the typical story against injustice that many expect as a woman of color. As I cannot simply become a martyr or romanticize and glorify my sufferings, I take it a step further and deeply scrutinize myself as well as others and call them on their deficiencies. Every individual and every group is a fair game.

I paint on my pc using my tablet on Adobe Photoshop. I have used Corel Painter in the past, but Photoshop is what I currently use exclusively. Usually starting with clippings and image files of reference materials that I have collected through the years. They could be from magazines, newspapers, web, etc. Then I make a collage of my story. When I have a great story that I want to tell, that is when I start painting. This often starts from the collage or I may draft up something from scratch and of course it could be the combination.