Remission
This series began in response to my mother's diagnoses with cancer. As fear made itself home, I began asking the question why paint at all? Seeking solace in nature, I found myself at the shore of Lake Washington. I began to ride my bike there everyday to sit by the waters edge and write.
One day, I suddenly filled my backpack with rocks from the shore and rode my bike back to the studio where I poured the rocks onto the floor. This physical act became a daily ritual, which I did for three months long. Following the process of collecting, I began making watercolor and ink drawings of the two piles.
The piece continued to evolve into an installation which became a metaphor for the duality of Life and Death. I painted the floor black like the dark night sky. On top I made two square shapes, One made of water mixed with rock salt- a metaphor for life and the other was ash- which was a metaphor for Death.
I proceeded to paint from the installation. These slowly evolved throughout the year. With the resolve of the paintings, so to came the diagnosis of my mother's cancer being in remission. What remained was the discovery of process, which became the foundation for my practice.