blue

Part of the Message in a Bottle series, which explores the themes of connection, isolation and healing as inspired by 100 letters written in 1918-1919 by a grandfather I never met. (see below) 20" x 20" Mixed media on wood panel, incorporating acrylic, graphite, and fragments of letters in which my grandfather repeatedly implored his wife - my grandmother - to write more.  War is a misery shattered into a million pieces -- that's the truth that radiates out from these letters. I was particularly struck by the poetry and vulnerability of this line, "a letter from you would take out of me the blue." A soldier's hunger for connection was poignant. It's also a reminder that the sense of isolation and absence of connection can befalls us at any time, such as during a pandemic or under the stresses of everyday life. I try to convey the blue as well as the sunny joy of possibilities for reconnection or redemption. $695

This exploration into the connections across families, time, generations or memories is part of my Message in a Bottle series. Layers of fragments of postcards, photographs, letters as well as paper, tissue paper, graphite and acrylic create a new moment for all the connections to converge in a new way. This one has a luminous, back-lit feel, which parallels the light that can shine through one's family lineage - the kind that  propels each individual forward while anchored in their past.   16" x 16" Mixed Media on Cradled Wood Panel.