When it become clear to me that I was painting a series, painting a family of individuals who crossed space and time, I knew it would need a matriarch. All around me, from when I was young, to now that I'm older, I was always surrounded and inspired by the strong women in my life. My mother, my aunty...they always showed me what true grit meant. This painting, to me, explores the truth of what a black woman is to me: strong, independent, indestructible. A Queen.