Basic Grief draws attention to uncomfortable states of mind—vulnerable and sensitive times that we all end up having. Even if we want to erase them, usually it’s not possible. Most of us have been there. Many of us anticipate with fear. Some will never let you know their pain. Others command a lot of attention. There’s the obvious and expected, and that which is not really known. Grief has many faces, but only some sufferers get attention and validation. Grief for what has been lost. Not for what has never been known. It’s okay to miss what was. Not okay to long for what might never be. Grief can come suddenly. Or, it might always be there. All pervading. Some talk about it constantly. Others never get in a word. Their ache is silent and all pervasive. If there was nothing there before, why the emptiness? Have to have experienced it to understand...

This image appeared by itself: took over the canvas when all else seemed to fail. At first, I painted between the wood grains, as for the other pieces in the collection. Nothing looked or felt right. That’s the beauty of having an art as therapy background—allowing for artistic process to take over rather than being product oriented. I gave myself permission to mush up already labored patches of imagery and go with whatever they might turn into next. Slowly, surely, delicately, a face started to emerge. I recognized her. She was painful to look at initially. Later, a feeling of peace and calm set in. Points had been made, messages given—reality addressed.