May you be free. May you be filled with vast space of tenderness. I am here; fully present through all this pain and sorrow. I will not leave you as you transition from this life. I will continue to care for you though we are separated by this thin veil of the living and those of the dead.
There are times that I find it so difficult to simply state the very nature of how these paintings came to be. They are prayers of a love so deep. That is what they are to me. I did not start out with this desire to manifest these wishes as paintings.
These wishes along with disjointed lines of poetry, song lyrics, notations in books and musical passages seem to be much of the underlying inspiration that has manifested in these works.
I was almost appalled that these bright predominantly pink paintings were coming to be. I almost censored myself longing for the way I used to paint prior to my husband’s passing. I decided after several weeks, that I would not censor myself. It was important that something larger was working it’s way through me.
In general, I often describe my art practice as a compulsion to create. I describe myself as a conduit for energy to pass through. I certainly did not choose this vocation. I am struggling currently with the sharing aspect of art making. This is the aspect that held me back considerably after art school. A lot of this may be because I am constantly riding the waves of grief while much of this wanting to hide has been conditioned in me since childhood.
I continue to draw strength from my husband who always said to show up. I can hear his voice encouraging me to share because he taught me that by example. He was a gifted writer, an inspiring public speaker and a mentor to many. He also told me that making friends is about the easiest thing to do when we first moved to Florida over a decade ago. I didn’t agree then but I certainly do now and it is amazing how all his good qualities have become my own.
