Break Open Your Heart
2020
Break open your heart series is heavily influenced by life-altering events of the tumultuous and infamous 2020. The pandemic, at first, only forced me to slow down. Events were canceled, and we were left with only ourselves. But as days turned to weeks and months, the time spent in lockdown with small kids became overwhelming. Then shootings and riots and the Black Lives Matter movement forced me to face my own privilege and whiteness. Deep introspection and grappling with guilt for my years of ignorance. Making art became a luxury I could not afford and I felt lost. The world seemed to be joining me in this crisis. And I, like so many, looked everywhere for hope and answers. I read books to educate myself, tried mind-opening drugs and became fascinated with Tarot and its power to bring a new perspective to my queries. Painting is my medium for expression, and the small moments of time I was able to escape to the studio became holy. These works I created during this year are based on struggle, hope, death, peace, confusion, and enlightenment. Figures are lost and searching, yearning for answers. I hope our new knowledge can invoke a worldwide shift. I know I have emerged a different person.