salve

When my maternal grandfather died in 2020, he left behind a ream of canvas. He didn't paint, but he did tend to hold on to things until just the right person dropped by for him to pass it on to. So in this tradition, my mom brought the giant roll by for me to use.

I was coming out of a season of depression, and unrolling the raw canvas felt like opening an expansive portal to my imagination.

I loved the way my acrylic paints stained the soft, raw canvas, and as I painted, I explored the idea of tending to generational trauma through understanding and compassion in the here and now.

I chose to add stitching elements as a nod to my mother’s mother, who made and mended all her children’s clothes by hand and to represent acts of intentional care.