So many paintings have been made of Marilyn Monroe, and Toni herself has painted her many times, but something keeps pulling her back to this icon, maybe looking for truth over sensationalism. The myth-making of Marilyn and the duality of this public face and Norma-Jeane's holds much intrigue, but for Toni the real focus of this painting is Marilyn as a true artist and powerful, ambitious entrepreneur in a time that wouldn't accept that for a woman. Her image was abused, her power was used against her, and her true artistic voice denied. The words in this painting are all Marilyn's, from her beautiful poems; the title 'I am Both Your Directions' also being a line from one of her poems. She wrote, read voraciously, made art, owned her own production company and had plans for scripts, films and endless creative projects, yet Hollywood contained her in a dumb-blonde, pin-up image, it was the only currency allowed her. Even now that image persists, with added facets of fragility, instability and tragedy. Parts of her constantly erased and withheld. Toni seeks out anything written about Marilyn, and more importantly her own words, and can see Marilyn so clearly as a powerful artist and strong woman - her ambition birds looking to change the world, but the world not supporting her.