My paintings are grouped according to seasons. I tend to want to be warm when it is cold out and I crave blue when it is hot. This cold winter, nothing seemed more appealing than curling under a leopard print with a lot of red and carmel in it. The turquoise is a contrast for the warmth to breathe. Sepia and olive green slipping in are my yearnings for spring to come.

About my girls, they are non-specific women meant to embody just femaleness. I look through the prism of female, so it seems right to be blatantly going only in that direction. It is true to who I am and what I understand.

Leopard print has an immediate reaction of lushness and wildness and sophistication with a touch of whimsy. Leopard Dress is the only one I have done without a total head but I am going for the strength of the attitude of leopard alone without the face to back it up. You can tell just from the way her body is positioned what kind of person she is. Leopard Scarf is definitely a salute to Matisse who is my most constant muse. Using only the shape of the leopard spots, not the color, Leopard Moon is a whisper of the lush extravagance of the night; and Leopard Necklace is as close to the animal as I dare go.

I hope you enjoy the journey looking at these paintings as I did painting them. 

Sharika Roland 2009

French DressNew SeriesAsian Girls