My girl looking ever so innocent...don't be fooled, she is a wild panther!
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My Partner and fellow artist
Giustino Durall |
A great day with Mom
My Story...
I have lost loved ones, both animals and humans, to cancer, car accidents, suicide, addiction, and other diseases. I am all too familiar with the struggle of loss. You are not alone.
My most significant loss was when my mother died after a twelve year battle with Breast Cancer. I was overwhelmed with paralyzing grief, and diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after having witnessed the deformation of my mother's body and her terrifyingly painful death firsthand. I found that the only effective way to soothe the extensive trauma was through painting about her stories, passions, dreams, beauty, colorful personality, and most of all, the love between us.
Throughout my grief process, I spent a great deal of time considering how I want to be remembered when I pass. I found that, without a doubt, I would want my loved ones to turn their focus away from the tragedy of my death, and instead focus on memorializing my unique personality and the beauty of the life I lived.Over the years, I've asked many people about this, and I found that they all felt the same way. I believe animals, if they could speak to us in words, would want us to be happy and at peace through the memories of their playfulness and unconditional love. That is why I started doing Memorial Paintings for others, to help people heal from their loss and find happiness in the good memories. I am also so happy to make Celebration Paintings as a way to remind us of the gift of the beautiful living people and animals we love.
I have lost loved ones, both animals and humans, to cancer, car accidents, suicide, addiction, and other diseases. I am all too familiar with the struggle of loss. You are not alone.
My most significant loss was when my mother died after a twelve year battle with Breast Cancer. I was overwhelmed with paralyzing grief, and diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after having witnessed the deformation of my mother's body and her terrifyingly painful death firsthand. I found that the only effective way to soothe the extensive trauma was through painting about her stories, passions, dreams, beauty, colorful personality, and most of all, the love between us.
Throughout my grief process, I spent a great deal of time considering how I want to be remembered when I pass. I found that, without a doubt, I would want my loved ones to turn their focus away from the tragedy of my death, and instead focus on memorializing my unique personality and the beauty of the life I lived.Over the years, I've asked many people about this, and I found that they all felt the same way. I believe animals, if they could speak to us in words, would want us to be happy and at peace through the memories of their playfulness and unconditional love. That is why I started doing Memorial Paintings for others, to help people heal from their loss and find happiness in the good memories. I am also so happy to make Celebration Paintings as a way to remind us of the gift of the beautiful living people and animals we love.
Inspired and hard at work in the garden
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A little slide show of my animal friends and family
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