Bit My Tongue is an oil painting with mixed media, depicting a vase of lilies. The work explores themes of loss, grief, and the strength required to move forward and create beauty from pain. The lilies, rendered in a semi-abstracted style, feature unfinished elements that evoke the lingering presence of the past—symbolic of the ghosts of memory and the incomplete narratives we carry with us.

The painting holds deeply personal significance. The lilies were purchased as a gesture of self-love and resilience, marking the finality of a divorce. They also echo the artist’s connection to their mother, who often buys lilies for herself as a source of joy and a way to fill her home with their sweet, fragrant presence. Yet, lilies are laden with duality: while they celebrate life and beauty, they are also a symbol of death and mourning, lending a haunting quality to the work.

Through its layered symbolism and unfinished details, Bit My Tongue encapsulates the tension between holding onto the past and embracing the possibilities of the future.