The Thing with Feathers

The paintings of The Thing with Feathers were made after a period of personal tribulation — a childhood friend was murdered, my father committed suicide, my health (always precarious due to a genetic disease) was at an all time low, and a hurricane washed away much of my mountain community. At the time, choosing to believe the better times would come felt like an act of rebellion.

Clouds Burst, Washed Clean, and Woodnote were born of a desire to wash away the hardships and sorrows that had dominated the previous two years, to rise out of destruction, and in gratitude for the precious audacity of hope. Throughout the collection, nebulous strokes, the forms of birds, and stitched elements represent the spirit of hope that travels in and out of our consciousness, so much stronger than it seems.