Hope Is The Thing With Feathers

Hope

“Hope is the thing with feathers…”
The first stanza of the Elizabeth Browning poem first came to save me when my father died in a plane crash. The feather began earlier as a symbol in my work but was cemented into my psyche by this poem.

The painting, “Hope”, is part of a long journey, dealing with past abuse in my life. I have paired the many coloured bruise, with the rainbow. Yellows, greens, purples and such, all appear while your most painful bruises heal. The connection fascinated me and a series of work was born.

When we are in the midst of an abusive situation it can be hard to find hope, I found it in colour. I hope you find hope here too.

Hope Is The Thing With Feathers
Hope Is The Thing With Feathers

This piece was auctioned by Lanark County Interval House as a fundraising effort. I was happy to offer it to them. Years ago I was the on the team for fundraising.  It remains one of the more daunting parts of the effort to make women and children safe from abuse.

Strangely enough, when I was at the end of my second abusive relationship, their assistance was not forthcoming. I had been arrested by the police in a domestic incident, based on insufficient evidence, as the perpetrator, I was denied help from the Interval House community. I forgive them this error in judgment and have made some of my art available to them over the years to raise funds with. That fateful night, I was removed from my home and spent an April evening waiting in a cement room. My ensuing association with the legal system was stressful, not to mention expensive. Fortunately for me, my mother died at the same time. We found her dead body weeks after her demise. I shall never forget her blackened screaming face. The funds she left me helped secure a high powered lawyer to plead my case. The charges were eventually dropped.

If you are in an abusive relationship, call out before its too late…http://lcih.org/

 

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