Self Portrait: Death Of A Friend

2019 - oil paint and paper collage on canvas

80 x 100 cm

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Grief is a powerful teacher

Raw emotion can be a strong catalyst for a painting.

When a friend that I grew up with passed away suddenly from natural causes at just 39 after a lifelong battle with shizophrenia - having just made the giant leap to living alone and being independent - it hit me very hard.

Initial grief is what started it, and due to the time factor involved in the process of painting, the lessons of healing also emerged.

The collage of paper flowers in her hand represent the spiritual lessons and experiences that came from this loss.