A Work in Progress
This year will mark the sixth time I enter ArtPrize. For those of you that don't know, ArtPrize is an annual competition here in Grand Rapids. This year also marks the sixth year of losing my mother. My mom was always my biggest supporter of anything I wanted to do in life, except maybe moving to Michigan. She knew I was creative, but she never got to see me actually come into my own as an artist. Her passing during the pandemic catapulted me into my art career. I found solace in painting and a way to tamp down my grief. In the last 6 years, I have created well over 150 pieces. What I haven't done, is take the time to grieve. The piece above is called, "Because I Knew You." It is an interpretation of the urn that holds my mother's ashes. The five yellow roses symbolize her 5 children - my siblings and I. The 10 white roses represent our children, her grandchildren, who were her pride and joy. The title comes from the song, "For Good" ...