Jessica Ethington

Look in the mirror and what do you see? I saw flaws. I saw blemishes in my skin. I saw parts of my body I wish would disappear. 

As many people so often do, I struggled with my own self image and how the rest of the world looked at me. I wondered if they saw my insecurities. I didn’t want to wear certain clothing because I didn’t want it to emphasize these imperfections. The media has distorted the way we view ourselves to an extent that people no longer see themselves for their beauty but rather the lack thereof.

This idea is what sparked my inspiration for Paint it Black. I had different people open up to me and talk about how they saw themselves. Many expressed what I had heard from friends in the past. They only saw their so called "flaw" as something they wished to erase. After choosing that specific body part we painted it with black paint then I had them model for me. I wanted them to see how beautiful they truly are, emphasizing the part they wanted to erase. After the shoot was over, many of these woman were stunned to see the images of themselves. In the end I wanted them to see themselves in a new perspective and realize that those “flaws” they think they have, aren't really flaws at all. That part they wished to erase or paint away was actually beautiful. Although different, each female body is beautiful.