36x36 Resin Coated Acrylic/ Glitter/ Resin/ Museum Canvas 

We’ve all fought our wars in this life, found some peace and a little bit more light. The forms of light cast memories of our circumstances, our reactions, our joy, our gratitude. I have to start with your daughter and the gratitude that I have for her. I have to say I am so emotional just trying to come up with the words. She has been so brave in sharing the parts of herself that she believes would cast out love or worthiness, light or gratitude. Sometimes she sits across from me, going through the work- and I can honestly say I have never felt that amount of love and respect for a person in a single moment in my life. She teaches me how strong I have been by showing me her willingness to keep walking through. 

She would never have wanted this painting to be about her and it’s not. Jillian shared with me what a wonderful vacation you took to Hawaii. She showed me every picture you took - the volcanos, the ocean, the palm trees, Eden smiling in the glow of a late afternoon sun. She told me you all felt so much happiness on that trip, and she wanted you to remember that feeling when you see this piece of art in your home every day. 

What I do is I take moments and recreate the frequency of them - almost as if they are the same rays of light that were with you at the time, but put into a piece of art. Bending the light to evoke the memory. We’ve all fought our wars in this life, found some peace and little more light. 

I have painted the light of the islands - the aqua sparkle of the Pacific Ocean, the silver of the twilight after the orange and pink sunsets over the emerald palm trees, yellow of the sunlight, the dark turquoise of the night sky over the water. It is no different from the frequency of the light of the gratitude that I know Jillian so much holds for each of you in her spirit and heart. This Christmas and always, I hope you know that your love and support saved Jillian's life and gave her the strength to do something different and keep going. There will never be a way to express the gratitude that I have for not just Jillian for her courage but your entire family for that love. 

“Mahalo” as I’m sure you know, is an expression for gratitude used on the Islands, and my way of bringing all of the light together as one whole message. When we are in the light that light is endless in what it can create, share and re-create. 

We’ve all fought our wars in this life, found some peace and a little bit more light. The movement in this picture is a part that I am the most proud of. Though it is abstract, there is a central figure in the middle of the canvas. She seemingly rises out of nowhere from the light and movement all around her, as if the ocean splashes from the force of the wind. It is a metaphor for all of the lights of your lives together that you find - within the calm, through the storm, as a family. 

Thank you for inspiring this work, and being exactly how you are to exactly who you are.