My Heart is Fertile Soil

Framed in natural walnut, with a off-white mat and museum glass.

This painting is inspired by a visit to Limahuli Garden & Preserve, National Tropical Botanical Garden in Kauai.

This is a piece bookended by loss. I started the painting 3 weeks after my mother passed and completed it around 3 weeks after a good friend passed, both from cancer. For me, painting is a working meditation. Creating this piece helped me process and work through my grief. 2022 was a challenging year. I was the primary caretaker for my mother as cancer took away her autonomy and ultimately her life. After her death, I became a source of information, comfort and care for my dear friend as she processed her own terminal diagnosis and mortality. I learned much about myself over the past 12 months; my strength, compassion, empathy and ability to find humor and light in dark times. Death is a part of the cycle of life and from death can come much beauty. We only need to think of the composting matter which feeds the soil to create lush gardens and forests to illustrate this. Of all the things I experienced this year I am most astounded by the depth of love within my heart and my ability to give. The title of this painting, My Heart is Fertile Soil, is an acknowledgment of this.