I created this painting for a show honoring my mom after she died at 71 in 2022. We had a complicated relationship. In life I think we both believed we were such different people. In death, I have come to realize that she and I have struggled with many of the same demons. For me, I found an outlet in art that truly saved me. She was not so fortunate.

"And the Melody's Lost Before the Song's Begun" was an expression of those feelings. Mourning the loss of the relationship we both craved but couldn't conjure while celebrating the person my mom was beneath the heavy weight of the baggage she was born to carry. With time, I've come to realize it's okay to find comfort in grief - and perhaps even joy.