Many ask why I have so few paintings of men in my collection. The reason is that men don’t show me their souls.

As a woman who grew up in a house full of women, I know the dark, intimate secrets women conceal. Men, however, don’t share their secret burdens and insecurities.

The first time my husband let down his guard and showed me his soul, I did this charcoal drawing. When I saw his soul, I was able to illustrate it and love him better.

Item The Great Depression

Created by LaShonda Scott Robinson

As seen in Creator's Studio, Tuscaloosa, AL

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Meet the Creator

LaShonda Scott Robinson

Tuscaloosa, AL

Wescover creator since 2023

Expressing suppressed emotions through body language

When I was nineteen, my childhood sweetheart (now my husband) gave me a watercolor set for Christmas. That gift would become my saving grace.

When we married, our son was seven months old. I was a sophomore in college. Our marriage was turbulent. Balancing work, marriage, motherhood, and college was taking its toll.

One night, I was extremely overwhelmed. I wanted to cry. But, the tears would not come. I had suppressed my emotions for so long they had forsaken me in my time of need.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I thought, “How can I get this pain out of me?” Then my soul whispered, “Paint it.” So, I took the watercolor set out of the closet and began to paint. I painted with my heart and not my eyes. All the emotions I had suppressed came to the surface. The canvas cried the tears my eyes refused to shed.

My tears took the form of a female figure. Faceless yet full of raw emotion. That night, I found my artistic voice. And my soul began to shout!

Painting is my saving grace. It is a faithful, non-judgmental confidant. Through art, I can openly cry without shedding a tear. Now, I no longer hide my vulnerability from the world. I paint it boldly on every canvas.

The Great Depression - Prints

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LaShonda Scott Robinson