Liebste: Posts & Letters I. This painting is part of my Liebste series, in which I incorporated letters sent from my grandfather to my grandmother while he was still in Poland prior to the outbreak of WWII and she had already emigrated to NYC. He wrote these letters in Yiddish and Polish, yet nearly each letter began with “Liebste.” This word means “dearest,” “sweetheart,” or “darling,” when translated from German. In this painting, the palette shifts emotions. Written word collage elements, line elements and asemic writing are combined to create tension across the canvas. There is an emphasis on the collaged shape elements of rectangular stamps and circular postmaster handstamps or indicia. This piece reflects the uncertainty and darkness of the period of time in which they were writing these letters, and also evokes the anxiety that many people are feeling today.