Can a portrait start a conversation about a loved one lost to suicide?
My mother died by suicide in 2012 and I’ve been drawing her ever since. Telling her story has brought me peace. Every time I draw her, I see a glimpse of who she was before she disappeared into her illness. I want to help you tell your loved one's story too. I want to fill a gallery with faces and stories of those we've lost.
These will not be ordinary, smiling family portraits because I’m interested in confronting their death while celebrating their life in the same image. I envision a portrait of your loved one caught in a seemingly mundane moment from their life; holding a child, cooking, laughing, reading, drawing, writing, walking. Using candid photos for reference, their mixed media portrait will be integrated into assemblages of objects that tell us about them symbolically and literally. Each portrait will be a unique piece of art.
If you are interested in capturing a moment in your loved one’s life in this way, please submit more information below. Thanks to the generosity of the Arts Worcester Material Needs Grant, there will be no charge for participating. I’ve committed to completing at least five before 2025, but will work with all participants possible before and after that date. All portraits completed before September 2025 will be exhibited with ArtsWorcester in the fall of 2025. Upon the completion of its exhibition, you will be given the portrait to keep, free of charge.
*I will reach out to connect with you about your portrait after receiving your submission. If your submission cannot be completed before September 2025 I will reach out to schedule a free commission for 2025. I hope to create as many as possible in the months and years to come. I will reach out via email to schedule a follow up call.
