Red Bathing Suit Series – float, sink or swim

This series of paintings came to life after my mother’s death in early 2015 when I began going through black and white childhood photos. 

In an age when we all have multiple photos viewed instantly and documenting every moment in our lives, this was different. There weren’t very many photos and the moment was captured, you got what you got - whether the subject was grimacing or 1/2 out of the frame. I began working with these images that evoked the complexities of family relationships, not just visions of a happier, nostalgic past. I created abstract backgrounds, edited out some figures, made others more prominent.

I was working with my grief but also with a freedom to alter the photos by painting my story the way I remembered it or how I imagined it might have been. I’m hoping that viewers can identify with the paintings as well. 

All paintings are acrylic paint on gessoed archival paper or board.

From 2017-2019 I began painting families other than my own, including “found relatives” from photos I discovered in dusty cardboard boxes in antique stores. Seeing precious family photos discarded for anyone to claim or not, further deepened my interest in their lives. I want to honor the people I paint, giving them an element of esteem in a life that probably passed too quickly. I remain intrigued with the beautiful small details of how a hand is held, an extravagant hat or who is smiling and who might be scared. Who were these people? What were they saying to one another? I continue to imagine their lives beyond the edges of the photo’s frame.

I know my family photos and my paintings might also end up in a dusty store one day. There is no holding on, but until we let go we have what is here, right now. I hope these paintings evoke the magic and moodiness of the simple moment.