Nurture and Nature (8"x10")

“NURTURE AND NATURE”

I remember the first piece of jewelry I bought my mother when I was 5. I say “I” but really it was my dad, I just picked it out. It was an emerald green ring with a gold band, it was her birthstone, the color of her eyes and her favorite color. I remember the day she passed, I remember holding her hand as the room went silent and this feeling that I never wanted to let go. Because I knew it would be the last time I would ever be able to touch her, so I held on trying to remember every detail of the moment, afraid that I would forget the feeling, the touch, the look of her hand in mine.

I know nobody is perfect, I know my mother wasn’t, but she loved me unconditionally, did her best and she always made sure we had a community around us. Families that I have known for decades whom I call parents. She left me in good hands and lessons that I constantly hold weight in. As an artist, it’s impossible to do it alone, it takes a community to grow. It’s the nature of friends and family of all types that is needed to nurture this journey of an artist. It’s how I’ve made it this far and will continue to be grateful for.  

Green has always been a hard color for me to paint, not just because of my relation to it, but the color itself is so fragile, so easy to muddy and taint. Yet when you get it right, it’s so powerful, so grounding and nurturing. It’s a symbol of life, growth and that bit of nature we often take for granted until it’s gone, if we are not careful. I think the one thing green reminds me of these days is to be present, in the moment, and to have the awareness of how important it is.