Artist • Spoonie • Dreamer
Death is part of life, why not explore it?
At some point in each of our lives the presence and inevitability of death makes itself known, for some of us it’s a rare glimpse and for others a daily occurrence, but neither stop us from experiencing the exhilaration of life. In fact, this counter balance is what brings us to realize the sweetness of living.
I’m someone who has had plenty of time to think about death, initially through the heartbreak of loosing my mother (an artist herself) when I was six years old and later, as my previously strong body succumbed to chronic illness and hospitalization during my teens and twenties, I had to face up to my own mortality.
Now I live with more balance, despite the ongoing illness, but the ultimate fragility of the structure that carries us through life, is a fascination that comes to the center of my art.
This, along with attention to the symbolic representation of the cyclical nature of life and death, is my core focus and obsession, borne out through my paintings.
Growing up, drawing became a way for me to continue to engage in life, channeling the many hours spent in museums with my grandparents or sleeping on their boat under the stars into my teenaged recovery while confined to a hospital bed or at home doing high school study from my bedroom. Against all odds, I managed to do well and graduate on time but when it came to further education, art seemed too much of a risk.
Over seven long years of bouts of illness I graduated with a Technical Theater degree but commissions within theater are sparse and unreliable, so I continued supporting myself through working in retail, which gave me the opportunity to have the ongoing healthcare that I need.
Throughout the years, I have never lost my passion for my artwork however, as this is such a strong part of my life. After each time fortune has knocked me on my ass, art has always been a big part of my recovery. The ability to create something beautiful from nothing gives me hope and is the reason I get out of bed in the morning.
Being able to share my work with others brings me joy, as I know we all have our ups and downs in life and that beauty and reflection help us get through.