My Story

I am happy to be included in the “My Story” exhibition at the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art. When I first heard of this theme, I was looking forward to the opportunity to be authentic with my motivation.  When I usually talk about my work, I try to capture the essence of the origin of my work, I also do not elaborate on why this type of direction is important to me. One, it sometimes feels raw… and another is that it is so precious and sacred. 

Here is "My Story":

Have you heard of the term “Heart Mom”? That is what I am. It is a term given to mothers of children born with congenital heart disease (CHD). It is a term that creates a bond and understanding among other heart moms. It is hard to relate to a heart mom’s fears – not knowing if your child will survive; the surgeries, the common cold or the day to day fragile state of existence. Children born with complex CHDs have a high mortality rate. My child was considered complex… 
and not expected to survive.
 
There’s an internal buzz that happens in your head when you’re trying to hold everything together in the midst of chaos…year after year. Through so much of the chaos, there seemed to be threads of hope, wherever I turned- new drugs, new procedures and mostly the hope came from my child’s point of view. Dylan displayed an ethereal peace regardless of the prognosis. Through Dylan’s calm and the understanding that this, whatever it was, was not in our hands to control – I clung to faith and hope through the example my child set. 
 
My child survived childhood and after 22 years of my life being dictated by hospital stays - I started painting again. My paintings reflect the threads of hope in the middle of chaos. Most of my work pulls from this theme in one way or another. 
 
After painting full-time for several years- my work has evolved from a staccato rhythm to a more meditative response to my environment.  I still tap into that internal buzz that defines my creative voice and directs the tone of my mark making, but the noise is not as loud as it used to be.