16x20 Pastel on Paper

Artist's Note: The Jekyl and Hyde story is very true when it comes to abusers. While dating, we put our best face forward, trying to impress. After the relationship gets underway, the abuser's Hyde personality comes out in episodes. When a person cares for someone, it's understood that the relationship isn't always rosy or the person isn't always pleasant; however, the cycle of abuse continues to spiral downward until the nice Jekyl personality becomes more scarce, leaving the survivor with only memories of what once was a loving relationship. In the case of this survivor, she had the courage to take that final step to permanent freedom and keeps the reality of her ordeal in perspective. She remembers the "good parts of him," but loves herself enough to remember who he really is.