Snakes and serpents are recurring forms in Naudline Pierre’s painted universe. Throughout her practice they have transformed into dragon-like protectors that grow alongside the protagonist and take on more recognizably human features as they evolve. Yet, as people do, Pierre’s serpents contain multitudes and can act out of turn. In For I Will Strike and I Will Soothe, 2022, a massive winged serpent with a flaming tail encircles Pierre’s protagonist in what appears to be an rageful scene of conflict. Balls of fire traverse the sky and the atmosphere becomes a swirling inferno where the protagonist and the serpent meet. A burst of energy obscures the protagonist's face where she has been struck. Blue skies appear to open up in the lower portion of the canvas, a hopeful sign of resolution and the dawn of a new day.