Acrylic, ink, collage, and gold leaf on wood. Sealed with UV gloss varnish to protect from dust and light.

This piece is part of the "Remember Who You Are" series. Vessels accept, contain, protect and preserve birth/death/rebirth cycle of life at the physical and metaphysical levels. Our body is a vessel. Our planet Earth is a vessel.

Twenty years ago, I took a few wheel-thrown pottery classes and fell in love with shaping the clay and layering the glazes. My body can no longer do the work required to throw pots, so now I explore the symbolism of vessels using collage, paint, and gold leaf.

I hand-paint the papers and then cut and tear them into small pieces. The papers are reassembled piece by piece, creating a new and more beautiful form. This process is a metaphor for life. There are periods where everything is okay and then we experience events that are challenging or traumatic – we feel cracked or broken. We build ourselves back up, piece by piece, creating a new beautiful life.

The vessels I create never have a lid. Add what you need to nourish yourself and pour out your gifts and share with others. Remember who you are.