"Puppet Master" is the second dual portrait in my Odyssey Series about the anxiety I have, through art, learned to cope with over the years. It centers around the idea of control (or lack of) within the confines of depression and anxiety. No matter how much growth, or control, I have gained over the disorder, the invisible strings of anxiety do not fully go away.
One woman is armored while the other is naked, and there are no strings connecting them. Instead, they merge with one another on an orange canvas full of tension and energy. There are bits of gray canvas for the depression that is so often co-mingled with anxiety.
Many who live with anxiety and depression try to hide their symptoms for various reasons, including avoidance, acceptance, or to blend in as normal. The armored woman is that strong front meant to protect the bare woman from the weight of stigma. The dog to the left is the cognitive thoughts (or therapy) that attempt to lead the way out of the irrational thoughts and feelings so prevalent in this disorder.