For many of us pandemic time has meant a time to……scratch……(panic/cry/”wait, this is MY workspace!”/”sure, I can be a teacher, keep my toddler quiet and work from home while my husband is in the other room on the phone with his clients”//did someone say drink? yes please/oh yeah family dance parties/realization: hey, when do we ever get to spend this much time together? come on this is awesome, don’t complain! /…….ohmmmmm……./deep breath/count to 10 and exercise to keep your sanity/wow: NYC is E.M.P.T.Y./ except of course…THANK YOU essential workers!!!/zoom calls, checking in with friends and family/prayer to the heavens: thank you, thank you for keeping my family safe and healthy!/Come on people wear a freaking mask, my 3 and 9 year old can do it for hours on end so can you!!!//record breaking days of heartbreaking news/more panic/OMG the world is crazy!) Scratch……Life comes to a stop. In shock. how will I ever get over this deep sorrow…..reshape our lives, regroup, prioritize what is truly important. and there is nothing like grief to give us a new perspective…..

Professionally for me, this has meant a lot of changes, from my physical creative work space to what I am currently producing in it. Many of you know that my mom wasn’t just my mom, we were business partners of a beautiful fine crafts gallery for 18 years and for the past 7 years we shared our art studio. We collaborated (Life In The Rockaways installation) and critiqued each others art work. Due to this heartbreaking loss I was gifted countless art mediums, tools and supplies as well as a beautiful garden that I now care for and get to enjoy with my family.

Whenever I pick up one of my mom’s paint brushes, choose a color palette from her watercolors and encaustic wax paints or dig deep into her amazing collection of scavenged treasure of drifted woods, bird feathers and shells. I feel companionship and love.

Thus far, all plants and flowers used in my cyanotype alternative photography comes from the garden my mom planted and cared for with so much joy. Seeing its plants regrow from cold winter to hopeful spring to colorful summer season has been part of my healing process and I’m for ever grateful to have this bounty of inspiration for my art work that I can share with you. From all this, a new collection of Art Work is born. It is my deepest wish they find a new home where they can bring a little bit of love and joy.