Hiatus

It has been quite some time since I last wrote on this blog, and much has changed over the past two years. Life required me to pause—but not to stop creating. During this period, I continued making art and found myself naturally pivoting from oils to pastels, a shift shaped by both circumstance and discovery.

I navigated an intense season of personal challenges: a brief period of unemployment, my mother transitioning into long-term care, the loss of my brother, and an ongoing divorce. With two moves in less than a year and limited space and time, working in oils was no longer practical. That constraint opened the door to a medium I had long admired.

Pastels quickly became a source of comfort and freedom. Their ease of use, minimal cleanup, and spontaneity allowed me to keep creating without barriers. I love the atmospheric softness they bring—the gentle, quiet quality that emerges as I observe the finished work. That softness has mirrored what I needed most during this time.

Art has been my anchor throughout this journey. It carried me through moments when life felt overwhelmingly heavy and helped me better understand the depth of despair some experience during their darkest hours. What brought me back, again and again, was grace—my faith, the love for my children, and a renewed focus on what truly matters. Together, these have helped me return to the present and move forward with intention, hope, and gratitude.

As I begin again, I want to say this clearly: if you are experiencing the darkness of grief or hopelessness, please seek help and reach out. You are not alone. It is through togetherness—through connection, faith, and resisting isolation—that healing begins. Even in the heaviest moments, brighter days are possible, and with support, patience, and grace, we can move forward.