Soldier On- 2023
MST- Military Sexual Trauma
Mixed Media 3D Mask Created by Emma DeLoach
● Acrylic paint mixed media mask on air dry clay base
● Size: 8x11x10
● This artwork is not for sale but available for display
● One of a kind piece of art
● One of two pieces in a growing collection
What inspired you to create this piece?
I wanted to create a visual representation of what I feel my MST would look like. I am ready to
step onto the path of processing my trauma to dive deeper into my recovery. This is just the
beginning.
What techniques did you use and why?
Mask 1: I painted the base color black because my inner light dimmed. I used my POSCA paint
pens to doodle with representation of my story hidden within. My thoughts were and still are
chaotic with flashes of my story. I traced a screaming mouth from the internet and transferred it
to cardboard and pasted it to my mask. I was recently diagnosed with a panic disorder which is
one of my many diagnoses as a result of my MST, and I feel like I am always screaming inside,
trying to find my old self or just peace. I painted the screaming mouth with acrylic paint and
subdued the color by using a thin layer of black iridescent paint. I glued dog tag chains under
my eye to represent my hidden tears. The unit patch I used for the eye was the unit I was a part
of when my story took place.
Mask 2: I covered this mask with an old ACU (Army Combat Uniform) jacket because that is the
uniform I wore while I was in the Army and what I was wearing at the time of my story. I cut eye
holes to reveal a mirror that is seen through Mask 1. It represents that Mask 1 and Mask 2 are
the same person. I glues awards to the draped fabric I received (Army Acommendation Medal
and Good Conduct Medal), my MOS (job) crest (91B- All Wheeled Mechanic apart of the
Ordnance Corps) and my unit crest which reads “Ever Vigilant”, my SPC rank and a US Army
patch, all things I was so proud of and I felt showed I was a good soldier.
Stand: I formed it out of air dry clay. I used a coarse texture medium to add texture and painted
it with black acrylic paint. I glued a broken mirror around it to represent my brokenness. I used
an E6000 to adhere the base to a picture frame.
What does this piece mean to you?
When I left the Army I left Texas with my daughter to start our life with my new husband in
Germany. I was so glad for what I was gaining that I never focused on what I had lost. While I
was working on this piece I realized I lost a lot the moment my story took place. I’d never be the
same soldier or person I was before. I went from a hard working, motivated, outgoing,
enthusiastic person to a guarded, panicked shammer. It has tainted my service. I feel this piece
is giving a part of me back. I am motivated to one day share my whole truth and to continue to
put in the work towards recovery.

What does this piece represent in terms of your artistic work as a whole?
My pieces are little snippets of my healing process. A few months ago I said his name aloud for
the first time in years and just like that felt like a weight was lifted. I feel this piece is another
weight. I've never shared what unit I was in when my story took place and I have attached the
unit’s patch and crest to this piece so there is no more hiding. This piece is a trophy of my
growth.