I am an artist who has devoted her life’s work since 1990 to elevate the human spirit through my paintings. In 2016, I channeled that same passion into my silverpoint drawings of transformative portraits that celebrate people of Black skin. The silverpoint, metaphorically, transports the subjects from the darkness of the background and positions them into their place in the light. The concept of “Dared to Be Black and Shining” is concentrating on the perception of who Black people are to themselves unapologetically and challenges the societal narratives that were assigned to them like a moniker. By simply taking the precious metal, silver, as my material and my drawing tool, I am able to produce an imagery that is a fusion of contemporary realism implemented with the 15th-century Gothic/Renaissance technique (silverpoint) of people who were not portrayed with dignity and masters of their own destinies in art history. My goal is to continually convey images of beautiful souls who are human, who have families, who have good communities and who are normal just like everyone else. Most recently, my subjects are personally known to me in environments to show different versions of Black people in their city environment. I am able to capture a little Black boy’s innocence, a friend’s warmth and young adults aspiring for a bright future.