I started this 9 foot tall “Battleground” piece in 2015 when state legislatures around the country were introducing an assortment of bills trying to restrict abortion and control women’s reproductive choices. In 2012, a unanimous Oklahoma Supreme Court threw out a ballot measure that would have given embryos full personhood rights, ruling it “clearly unconstitutional” because it would ban abortion. Well, we all know what the U.S. Supreme Court did in 2022 to Roe v. Wade.

I am a woman that has had an abortion. I don’t need to justify why I made this choice.

I was on the board of Planned Parenthood of Central Oklahoma from 2013-2015 and have been a passionate advocate for women’s reproductive rights in my life and art making.

I worked on “Battleground” off and on for over 8 years and finally finished it in 2023. The tiny X stitches are a hint at ancient battle plans and a classic sewing stitch that has been used for ages. The colors are varying shades of pink and skin tones. After completing the hand embroidery of the body I stitched the vinyl piece onto a clean bed sheet my husband and I had used for years.