For the past 10 years, I have cared for my 99-year-old mother as she has moved through the stages dementia and the senior care system. In recent months, she has begun drawing simple, abstract lines after watching me sketch during visits to her memory care unit.

This unexpected shift has become a point of connection between us. I am developing a series of paintings inspired by her drawings, using them as both source material and dialogue. Through this process, I search for a form of communication that exists beyond language, one that is free of sadness, frustration, or loss.

My work continues to explore gestural relationships, responding intuitively to my mother’s marks while remaining rooted in my long-standing interest in nature, symbolism, light and composition. I focus on distilling each piece into a singular or abstract image, allowing space for layering, transformation and reimagining.

These paintings are not only an extension of my practice, but also a way of meeting my mother where she is now through line, movement and presence.