Finding My Senses
2018

In February 2018 I experienced a traumatic head injury that divorced me from most habits of a modern, digital life. As I healed, slowly, with many unknowns, I returned to my painting practice with softness and resolve. I had never approached my art as therapy, but here it unfolded quite naturally and essentially. Working simply on paper with watercolor became my way of reconnecting with my senses and my body as my brain rewired. The fluid medium is a practice that asks you to be light and nimble – it’s like stretching, a gentle limbering up, bringing warmth to the blood. In a way, watercolor became an expression of my healing: a way to nurture my brain without taxing it, a way to embrace the unknown. A reminder to soften, follow intuition, be patient, and have trust in the process. At my table, I found space to engage with myself in a quiet, deliberate way.

My approach to working was intuitive. It was sensory – driven by color, space, and longing. The gestures move beyond descriptive detail as color navigates the white space. For me, the process was a steady outpouring, and it is here that the mind is free – a kind of meditation. Loosening a grip on reason and living with a bit of mystery was central to the practice. I have no doubt that this process of art-making was fundamental to my emotional and physical recovery.