THE HEARTS
In 2020, I had major surgery during the pandemic.
Although it was terrifying, I was distracted by the pandemic and the state of our country and I didn’t have the bandwidth to get my head around the emotional and physical consequences of the operation and what it all meant to me.
When I did get back in my studio, for some reason I found myself carving abstracted heart-shaped forms into panels or drawing them as part of an underpainting. They were everywhere, and totally not “me”. But I embraced them and found it comforting to have these little symbols of love, compassion, inclusion, and understanding hiding in my work, cheering me on as I healed. As time went on, I didn’t want to hide them anymore and now they are the foundation for my new work.
Making them is a soothing and joyful reminder to love oneself and one another, and I’m going to make lots of them. ;) I will post them here as I finish them.