Illustration
Creator
My grandmother carried my mother, and therefore the future of my siblings and I within her.
Illustration
Grandmas IUD
Grandma’s iud depicts the Dalkon Shield, an intrauterine device in use from the late 60’s through the 80’s. It was the cause of a class action lawsuit, due to a design flaw in the device that caused pelvic infections, infertility, and even death.... More
Illustration
Hers and Mine
Hers and mine shows my hand, and my mother’s hand together. It is a literal representation of what is passed down in terms of physical traits. Recently, my mother told me that my hands are the same size and shape as Smokey’s. In this way, when my... More
Illustration
Mom and Round Trip, Molly and me
This diptych shows my mother and I at similar ages, both with the first horses we ever rode: Round Trip and Molly. The juxtaposition of myself and my mother at these similar ages and stages in life plays on the fleeting nature of childhood; and... More
Illustration
On Resilience No.1
On Resilience No.1 is an illustrated representation of what resilience means to me: an ability to withstand and tolerate times of hardship and pain.
Illustration
On Resilience No.2
On Resilience no.2 is a representation of the most powerful facet of resilience: the ability not only to survive hardship and pain, but to come back from it time and time again.
Illustration
Peefree China
The Pee Frees were my mother’s imaginary childhood fairy friends. This plate from my childhood illustrated with butterflies, flowers, and little figures is a reference to how my childhood fostered a longing for magic and whimsy throughout my life.
Illustration
Self Portrait with Red Tail Hawk Wings
The pose for this self portrait is directly referenced from a family portrait of my grandmother Smokey when she was approximately my age. I am the first artist in my family despite both my mother and my grandmother’s interest in art, which neither... More
Illustration
Skinny Jeans
Skinny Jeans is a commentary on how body image standards are perpetuated through familial storytelling. The illustration depicts a pair of jeans I bought that are just a size too small for me to wear comfortably, and the text comes from a note... More
Illustration
Smokey in Blue
Smokey in Blue shows my grandmother Smokey in her early 20’s, close to my current age. This portrait is a glimpse into who she was at that age, and my attempt to connect with her memory without ever knowing her.
Illustration
Strength of the Earth
Strength Of the Earth represents the grounded strength that comes from developing a close relationship to the natural world; something I learned to value through my mother.
Illustration
Who Protects You
Inspired by my experience with a hormonal IUD, Who Protects You is a piece made to critique the passed-down perception that contraceptives and birth control should be a woman’s responsibility rather than a mans.
Work by
Carlow Phillips
“Heirloom Blues is an exploration of what is passed down between mothers and daughters through generations in both a literal and metaphorical sense. Using watercolor, a medium historically viewed as a...” [More]