The fantasy of The Grapes offered me solace in my journey through grief. Presented as a fairytale, the works reflect on our
yearning for a return to childhood when faced with catastrophe and ultimately, the wonder of imagination and its ability to heal.
The Flying Grapes
In 2016 I lost my husband Mark to cancer. The flying Grapes were his idea, we were living in Napa, the general conviviality of the wine country no doubt planted the seed in his imagination.
I never considered pursuing this avenue until after his death. Unable to focus on the complexity and rigorous painting techniques of my abstract works, I turned to the Grapes as a form of solace.
The paintings became my journey through grief, I took the unbearable pain of loss and created a magical world where flying grapes raced up and down the valley playing among the vineyards, the only witnesses to their mischief being children.
Presented as a fairytale, the works reflect on deeper themes, our use of fantasy and mythology to make sense of the world; the yearning for a return to childhood when faced with catastrophe and ultimately the wonder of imagination and its ability to heal, a uniquely human experience.