This work emerged from a deeply personal experience—my recovery from heart surgery, during which a long hidden hole in my heart was revealed and patched. This portal encapsulated the spectrum of that period. The gift of more time was handed to me, more seasons of life, a flourishing heart right here for me after many years of illness.

In "Blue Sapphire of My Heart / All That Is Eternal," the vibrant hued blue is intentionally rich, evoking the depth of how blue can be, a color that I tend to lean on as my guide. Warm colors, this glowing light becomes more comforting and soft in its embrace of you because of those blues and darks. I found blue sapphire anemones at my local florist about the time of making this. I was transfixed by them, they translated exactly the blue that I was looking for.

Threaded through here is a narrative of struggle met with resilience. Following the path of life, there are these moments of peace that flutter through to us, all the more beautiful for the very contrast to what they counter. There is defining experience in them, that shaped me to be the artist I am, seeking out that kind of beauty to fortify the mind and heart for what else may arise. It is a real practice to stand with that enduring grace discovered along the path of dark and light. This piece stands as a visual metaphor for the interplay of pain and healing. I think it feels like a heart, nested.