Grief Series (2004-2007)

My grief series started with these three paintings, which I based on photos I found online following a tsunami. I was seeing a therapist, who as we all know, likes to ask; "How are you feeling?"  I didn't have the words, but when I came across photos like these I recognized what I was feeling. 






These three paintings were on display in downtown Provo as part of their program to fill empty store windows, and I later sold all three.  I continued my project with the following paintings.  All but two have been sold.





























































Eventually I worked on a picture from my brother's funeral, which is the painting I connected with the most.  I can remember working on this painting in my Fullerton, CA apartment.  He died during my last semester of my Bachelor's and I went off to Fullerton for graduate school.  I didn't even last long enough to start classes the first semester, but in the short time I was living there, I painted this.  I was so energized while working that I couldn't sit down (totally unlike any other painting I'd worked on).  I eventually dropped this painting off at DI because it was more painful for me to look at all the time.  Try to ignore the glare on the photo...



Another painting I completed of my brother is one of my favorites.  It's hanging at my parents house now.  It's a 3'X4' on masonite board, so it's big and heavy.  It's from a photo of my brother sleeping on the couch with my oldest nephew on Christmas day.  Color in the photo isn't quite right, but the best I could do.