My work explores the relationship between realism and the female role in the 21^st century.  My purpose is to portray the change in the women of today as confident, high achieving, hardworking and on an equal level to men.  If we look at paintings of the past we see that the female was portrayed in an idealistic manner whose main purpose was the looking after of children and the keeper of the house, similar to times as far back as Byzantine art where the Virgin Mary’s archetype role is mainly nourishing and protecting her child. My aim is to portray women as multitaskers such as looking after their children, working, keeping the house, the usual chores and chaos a mother has to deal with everyday without ever getting recognition for it. Therefore, I am questioning whether the working mother under the mental strain of never really shutting down is a bad thing or does it mean that she is being more efficient, productive and successful while still feeling content. Through the medium of oil paints I am trying to portray the fast paced, chaotic lifestyle that the modern woman endures daily.