With the idea of discerning guardians protecting the portals of creativity in mind, I found myself drawn to creating warriors to inspire me with their steadfast fierceness.   They would assist me in finding the strength and resources to continually return to my studio and art.  They would encourage me to have faith in the value of my explorations. 

The Kau people of the Nuba Mountains in Kordofan, a province of Sudan, were my inspiration.  Leni Riefenstahl exquisitely captured how each Kau young male fighter elaborately painted his own face and body before battle.  Personal artistic expression seemed a central part of this highly structured ritual ceremony of fighting.