Time Will Tell

Time Will Tell, Acrylic, graphite, collage on art board, 12”x16”.

'He said, "In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love. In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile. In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm. I realized, through it all, that in the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there's something stronger-something better, pushing right back."- *attributed to Albert Camus, French author and philosopher.

Time Will Tell uses a variety of materials including cross sections of onions that have been cooked, sliced, pressed, and dried. Working with brushes, pencil, and fingers directly on the surface exploring a quest and demonstration of this said invincibility.

A challenging winter, a hopeful spring, followed by a hot dry summer of possibilities.

And here we are in autumn…

In the wake of the November 2024 Presidential Elections in the United States, we may all find ourselves challenged to find and choose love over hate, calm over chaos.

*Please note that upon further research I learned that “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer" is genuinely from Camus, found in his essay Return to Tipasa from Lyrical and Critical Essays. The rest of the quote above however, no such evidence is found other than a photo seemingly taken from a page of a book shared on the internet.

One in Eight

One in Eight, Acrylic, rubber stamp, collage on paper, 15”x12”

One in Eight was created in response to a breast cancer diagnosis after a routine mammogram. The name refers to the statistic that, in the United States, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Amid a whirlwind of appointments, tests, surgery, and the emotional upheaval that followed, the studio became a sanctuary—a space to process this initiation into a sisterhood that, for me, held an even deeper resonance when I tested positive for the BRCA 2 gene mutation.

Riversong II

Riversong II

Acrylic, collage on synthetic non-woven paper, 32”x5.25”

“The river is constantly turning and bending and you never know where it's going to go and where you'll wind up. Following the bend in the river and staying on your own path means that you are on the right track.”-Emma Donoghue, Memory of Water

Riversong II was inspired by the Wilmington Riverfront for an exhibition at The Delaware Contemporary titled Riverfront 2020. In this piece, I sought to reflect on all that has come before and all that will pass beyond the horizon line, exploring the limits of what the eye can see. The changing moods, constant movement, and a rich history of industry and trade, recently revitalized to bring new life to the city.

Summer Daze

It may be these lazy, hazy, somewhat crazy days of summer, or the pain meds, as I recuperate from hip replacement surgery. Actually, I weaned myself off those nasty things ASAP but I am laying low and appreciating my backyard and the frenetic beauty of the hummingbirds, the cicadas and of course, our perennial echinacea plants.

Towards the Light

Towards the Light, 2018, Monotype on synthetic non-woven paper, 11.75”x11.75”

“Being an artist means forever healing your own wounds and at the same time endlessly exposing them.” –Annette Messager

July 27, was the day my beloved Mother passed, transitioned, died. All words that carry a different weight, but regardless mean the same thing.

We all have an expiration date. Mom knew hers was imminent. She had been battling renal cancer for about a year or so. Chronic back pain, for decades. She was ready. In fact, only a couple of weeks prior to, she was showing me where she kept certain papers and valuables she wanted me to be aware of, I asked if she was afraid. She was not. Ellen R. Hersh, was a straight shooter. I always knew how she felt about things. She had a strong moral compass and codes of ethics.

She was truly my North Star. Guiding me, a somewhat difficult, rebellious teen and young adult, pointing me Toward the Light.

When she passed, I recited Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead for a full year. Finding comfort and solace in the ancient tradition, I also turned to the studio, where like the French artist Annette Messager says above, ““Being an artist means forever healing your own wounds and at the same time endlessly exposing them.” 

Released (# 1-4)

Released

Released #3

Released #2

Released #4

“Two things can happen to a person who lives on an island, either the shore confines them or the infinite horizon releases them.”–painted on the wall at Waialua Bakery, Haleiwa, HI.

Released, rejuvenated, and refreshed, thanks to a recent trip back to visit my beloved North Shore of Oahu. The quote above graces the walls of a favorite bakery and affirms what my heart has always known. I feel the release of the infinite horizon when on the sand or from a lanai above. The swirls and layered puffs of clouds weigh on the distant horizon continue to captivate my imagination and offer a sense of awe and innate peacefulness.

Each piece was created with watercolor pencils and crayons. Released #4 on the far right has collage as well. Oversized postcards at 8”x10”, they offer a message of endless possibilities when we follow our hearts and find our own piece of paradise.

Floats

Floats, 2024, Watercolor pencil on board, 8”x10”.

Traveling brings me home. Following what was quite a dark and challenging winter, thoughts of returning to Hawai’i felt like a calling and a dream I dared to hold onto.

And then, here I was. Basking in moments of grace and gratitude. Cloud gazing, beach combing, floating in green clear waters with color fish and honu (Hawaiian sea turtles.)

Staring out to sea, cloud gazing beach combing, appreciating the small ponds with tiny fish and delicae lilies where I was staying and the lovely Japanese glass fishing floats from a friend.

Moments of grace. Simple pleasures. Floating. Being.

Welcome to What’s in My Drawers

Here’s where drawings, prints, and other works on paper are tucked away in my studio flat file drawers are brought to light. It’s a place to share treasures and the story or snippet behind the work of art.

All of the art from What's In My Drawers  can also be found on our Collect page for $500. or less. Free shipping within US.

(leaving the) Nest #4

(leaving the) Nest #4, 2015, Charcoal, acrylic, spray paint on paper, 22”x30”. $500.

“One minute, they won’t get out of your bed, the next, they’re not calling you back.”–Bobby Cannavale

Roots and wings. Feathering the nest. All metaphors for home and family. The first an aspiration for parenting which serves as a gentle reminder. The very same toddlers we couldn’t get out of our beds are now young adults who may need gentle promptings to call or visit. An inevitable evolving of growth and change and one that can tug at our heart strings none the less. The second came to mind when I recently had the opportunity to put my finger in a small hummingbird nest that a friend had found. So soft and downy, a lovely home for Hummingbird babies long gone.

I created this drawing several years ago from shadows cast from a welded nest sculpture I created at a weeklong Marshall Bridge workshop with Stan Smokler. The rusted steel foraged, twisted, and heated to form a nest atop a pillar of found railings long ago abandoned.

Entangled ethereal shadows that convey the beautiful and impermanence of our lives.