Looking around my living room at the white delicate flowers strewn around, a single candle flickering on the ledge, and an empty clear, glass, mason jar I begin the long journey of processing my grief. 

After loosing my 18 year old cat to kidney failure and my 2 year old puppy to cancer within a 6 month time span I was spiraling into darkness. I had received a bouquet of white flowers from a friend as one often does after a death in the family. I looked at this bouquet and began dismantling it, promptly turning  to my one constant companion, art.  Art and movement have helped me process my fair share of grief in the past and this time was no different. I placed a flower into the glass jar, positioned the single candle and pulled out my camera. Creating the photographs would be just one part of the process. Dark and moody photos with dramatic warm candle light cast onto the flower began my mixed media series on grief. I would take these photos and transfer them onto raw canvas and combine them with charcoal, paint, a verity of music and many tear. 

I had spent the last few months nursing my hospice babies, making sure they weren’t in pain and were enjoying their last moments on this earth but eventually they would each tell me their time here was done and I had to let them go. I would turn this energy and love to my art. My grief has not gone away. Does it ever? But, at least I have my art.