This piece was born from a moment I still struggle to fully explain. After my father’s passing, a group of sea lions did something I can only describe as sacred, they carried his body back to us.

In the middle of grief, confusion, and disbelief, creation showed up through the natural world in a way that felt both wild and deeply intentional. It stopped me. It humbled me. It made me question everything I thought I understood about loss, presence, and the thin space between them.

This painting is not just a portrait of a sea lion. It is a witness.

A witness to mystery, the unexplainable kindness that can exist inside even the most brutal moments, and to the idea that we are not as alone as we think we are.

The word “Ευχαριστώ” (Thank You) is embedded into the piece, not as a polite gesture, but as a response to something far greater than me. Gratitude, even in grief. Especially in grief.