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.
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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.
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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.
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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.