Shelbey Leco

My Bitch Mom Threw Away My Collared Lizard Toy#

Artist’s Statement#

My Bitch Mom Threw Away My Collared Lizard Toy was inspired by a true event. My mother threw away my collared lizard toy that was gifted to me by my partner at the time, Ners. During Covid 2020, I lived in my Jeep for fifty days on a cross country road trip with Ners. We visited all of the national parks from Louisiana to Wyoming and back. One of our stops was the painted desert in Arizona. I had never been to the desert after growing up in New Orleans and Louisiana my entire life.

I saw the collared lizard and it took my breath away. I would not stop talking about it. Ners surprised me with the collared lizard toy. After that, it sat on the dash of my Jeep. In my life, I have moved around a lot. Often, I would have to get rid of my things and replace them whenever we had to move to a new house. While we were on our road trip, my Jeep was my house. The plastic collared lizard toy was an achievement that meant that I had made it to see the desert. It was given to me by someone that I love very much, and my mom threw it away.

The image of the lizard is severed to represent that, yes, relationships can be repaired, but they may not be the same as they once were. The bright and vivid colors represent the joy and excitement I had seeing the desert compared to swampy marshlands for the first time in my life.

About the Artist#

Growing up in Southeast Louisiana outside of New Orleans, Shelbey was always inspired by nature and art. She graduated from the University of New Orleans with a bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies in Urban Society with disciplines in education, english, and anthropology. She enjoys traveling, art, and exploring new places.