This body of work marks a departure from precise representational and decorative work, bringing movement, curiosity, and emotional expression. All works were completed from August-Sept of 2024, an outcome of processing grief after a tragic loss in May. Grief so often moves in tandem with big magic, dazzling winks from the universe to let us know there is no real death, our love is real, our connections are real, our lives have meaning. Big loss carves a holy depth, which ebbs and flows with pain + heartbreak, also with laughter, love, and beauty.

This is the work that came out of me when I decided to paint about it. My intention was to create a colorful background for a representational, commemorative artwork. As I began painting, the movement and color took over, and I let myself explore. A door opened to a part of myself I thought I had lost in childhood. A part that feels like home. As I let the paint move, I felt things move inside of me as well. A playful opening, a deepening of my felt connection to the great mystery, love, acceptance, hope.

I see my daily beach walks at sunset, the Aurora Borealis, phone calls with friends and cousins, whales jumping after we released ashes into the ocean, the late night swims, the healing of salt water, the turning of time, the great great loss, and the feeling of pulling myself out of an ocean of grief and looking right into the sparkling eyes of life all reflected in this exploratory body of work.

All pieces were painted with watercolor, gouache, aquarelle crayon + pencil on 18x24” cold press cotton paper 2024 by Jackie Dandelion

(there are 12 works in this series, please stay tuned for more images -10/12/24)