To Hug a Friend

18” × 24” unframed, 28" x 36" framed

Technical pen and ink on hot press paper

Framed with museum glass, signed on the back.

In 2023, I embarked on a forty hour journey of self doubt and discoveries. A clean outline in the shape of a giant egg, a few lines on pencil as a general direction for composition. And off it went. It’s pen and ink so theres no room for mistakes, because…there is no “mistake”. Whatever happened on the page, “good” or “bad”, is here to stay. The black lines and white negative spaces are engaging in a dialogue, leaving space for each other to exist. While drawing, I think about “the life” of the line. does it allow a path for other lines to begin and to end? Some people noticed that the lines don’t ever cross…no they don’t. They merge, complete each other, add to one another, into a lace-like pattern. Maybe they are too well-behaved.. but that’s how I like it. All moving together side by side, like a school of fish or a murmuration of starlings (thank you to my dear Margie Criner for the word).

In the drawing you can see a little bit of everything : Jupiter, floral patterns, quartz, cells, lotus roots (apologies to those affected with trypophobia), but also the concept of “crown shyness” in trees, Ebru marbled paper from Turkey, and oil and vinegar, mixing and separating.

The piece is called "To Hug a Friend", it's about what's happening in the brain during a true embrace, in a moment of grief, sorrow and hope. When you dont really know what to say, and whatever you will say won’t feel like enough. But the hug you give will complete the sentence.

This piece “toured” quite a bit, first at Alma Gallery in 2023, then on view at Madron Gallery in Chicago in the spring of 2025.

In the summer of 2025 it was shown at Rountree gallery in Platteville WI where it was acquired by the Platteville Public Library and joined their permanent collection.

To inquire about an original or request a catalog of available pieces, you can visit my portfolio on Artwork Archives and/or contact me here .