In this new body of work, Cortney Herron explores themes of duality through atmosphere, symbolism, and the interplay between softness and strength. Moving across a visual spectrum of light and shadow, the paintings create space for tenderness and mystery to coexist. Recurring motifs of feathers and bird forms evolve from ideas first introduced in The Land of My Dreams, becoming symbols of transformation, protection, and interconnectedness. Herron’s figures often merge with their surroundings, enveloped in plumage that blurs the boundaries between human, animal, and landscape. Delicate, feather-like hands and expansive wing references suggest an energetic extension of self, drawing on the bird’s unique ability to embody both fragility and power, groundedness and flight. Throughout the series, symbolism is used to examine the shifting nature of identity and emotional experience. In several darker works, red gloves emerge as a recurring motif, introducing themes of performance, concealment, and transformation. Much like the masks that appeared in earlier paintings, they function as forms of emotional armor, reflecting the various roles and versions of self that individuals inhabit over time. Herron is particularly interested in the tensions created through contrast—softness within darkness, stillness within movement, and vulnerability within protection. Through layered imagery and evocative symbolism, the paintings invite contemplation of what is revealed, what is hidden, and the quiet energies that exist between the two.
