Now, 20 years later, as December 6 approached again, those feelings returned and with them, the urgency to put something down on canvas. I worked on this painting for 16 hours with no food or drink. Each brush-stroke became a quest, each layer of color a meditation. As I painted I knew that, 2 decades later, much had been done but not much had changed. Violence against women persists in a hundred guises right here on our doorstep as well as in many countries around the world.

In the painting, the candle is hope, lit in solemn tribute. Butterflies hover silently, symbols of transformation and freedom. I placed 50 tiny mirrors between the women so that when we look at the painting and see our reflection, we understand that any one of these women could have been us... can still be us.

I believe that ART does not come from the mind but from the places where we dare to dream. It simmers in expansive oceans of our souls; it lights up dark corners of our world; it celebrates, it heals, it renews. It is magic. Through art, we are able to access others sufferings, to give them confidence and courage. Art helps to create dialogue, to create a vision, to create greater understanding so that we can all, each and every one of us, take on the responsibility to change the world for the better.’’

On display at the MONTREAL WOMEN'S ART SOCIETY annual show at Ogilvy's from March 20 to 24, 2010.