Lady Grace Jones (Ode to Frida Kahlo)

Lady Grace Jones (Ode to Frida Kahlo) is the largest piece I've created on canvas, at 48" x 60". She's also the first collage piece I've ever created. I wanted to use the canvas for a portrait of a strong woman. I originally wanted to paint Frida Kahlo, but after a poll a took, most people chosecGrace Jones. So I wanted to combine the two in a way. 
 
I chose a photo that resembled the positioning of Frida in her "Self Portait with Monkey" painting. I made a collage of plants behind her that are native to her homeland Jamaica. Friday also wore flowers in her hair, so I included the flower in Grace's ear. There's also a flower that can be found on her lapel, as well as one on the lapel of the monkey on her shoulder. You will also see a hint of shadow around the eyebrows to mimic the famous Frida unibrow.
 
In Mexican art culture, the monkey symbolizes lust, but to Frida, she just liked monkeys. In this case, the monkey is very true to its symbolism of lust, as Grace Jones is a very sexually provocative entertainer. 
 
The lyrics to Beyonce's "Grown Woman" can be found on the bright yellow background. Grace is outline with a neon pink paint to make her stand out from the active background.