Love Letters for Hard Times, 2025

I have named this collection of intuitive drawings on paper “Love Letters for Hard Times”, as they provided a way to hold space for myself during a pilgrimage through wounded-darkness in 2024-2025. In these pieces I explore fragility and determination; uncertainty and grounding; vulnerability and strength; grief and hope.

The small scale of the works and the simplicity of materials and palette, offered a gentle access point to mark-making that felt intimate, supportive, authentic and playful. The drawing style often included a visual call and response which helped me to maintain immediacy.

As I developed the series, I found I was able to understand my subconscious-voice more; the way I was using line, spatial relationships between forms, and the use of repeated motifs, for example the circle, to express aspiration, longing and wholeness.

The rewards of the work were visceral and a quiet comfort - frequently offering soulful contemplation. It is my hope that my artworks will connect with other people’s hearts, encourage them to find ways to explore within and beyond, and to be understood in light of the common experiences of navigating love, loss & healing.