Wholly Herself

23.5 × 31.5 inches (59.69 × 80.01 cm) | Original oil and gold leaf on deep-edge canvas

Part of the Abreast collection, exploring women’s journeys through change, the scars we carry, and the strength we discover along the way.

The reclining woman in Wholly Herself invites you to slow your gaze. Warm skin, folds of turquoise fabric and a golden ground give her a sense of weight and presence. You are looking at a woman taking up her own space, with a life that extends beyond what the painting reveals.

Through oil paint and kintsugi-inspired gold leaf, the work opens a conversation about scars, bodily change and a developing sense of self. You may find yourself reflecting on the expectations placed on women’s bodies, and on the strength involved in meeting your own body with greater kindness. Wholeness can include every chapter of a life.

For the collector, this is a painting to live alongside as your own understanding of beauty changes. It may offer recognition, tenderness, or a reminder to look more generously at yourself and others. Created for Abreast, Wholly Herself honours a woman’s worth throughout the journey of becoming.

• Original painting by Roberta Heslop
• Oil and gold leaf on deep-edge canvas
• 23.5 × 31.5 inches (59.69 × 80.01 cm)
• 2026
• Unframed

This is an original painting. There is only one.