Malinda Prudhomme

Malinda Prud’homme

My greatest passion is portraying a variety of natural female beauty in order to express that all women; regardless of age, size, style, or ethnicity; are beautiful in their own unique way. Growing up I always felt there was a huge lack of variety in what the media portrayed as “beauty”. I yearned to see freckles, gapped teeth, asymmetrical faces, wrinkles, and people of colour and other non–Caucasian ethnicities. It wasn’t that the women in the media were not beautiful; they were and still are absolutely stunning; but I feel it’s time to start celebrating the beauty of all women, not just one group.

In order to capture my subjects I use a wide variety of mediums including watercolour paint, willow vine charcoal, encaustic (wax) paint, and coloured pencils. However, the majority of my realistic portraits are created using oil paint and acrylic paint. With extreme attention to detail I use these mediums to portray each woman’s unique facial features and figure, but more importantly I capture their expression and their spirit.

The expectations for female beauty are unnecessary and often unrealistic. It is my hope that when women see my artwork they will be inspired to set aside their harsh self-criticisms and see themselves as the truly beautiful people they are.