Where Every
Piece Tells
a Story.

They Stay With Us

A large doily drawn with detailed squiggly lines and patterns. Rolled scrolls of paper are drawn hanging below the doily, attached by string, symbolizing the messages we wish to send to those we've lost. Portrait of Heremina Hazelaar, Oma of the artist. Her portrait is surrounded by intricate tree rings symbolising each year of her life. A detailed drawing of a small unfinished doily. The crochet needle lays below with thread partially looped through. A hummingbird hovers over the needle, its beak drinking from the center of the doily. A detailed drawing of a small completed doily with intricate patterns, resting in a bird nest. Five swans fly above in the background. The poster to promote the grad show, made by fellow graduate Emily Archer. Yellow sticky notes with student portraits.


Blurb

Losing someone you love can sometimes feel like you’ve lost part of yourself that felt inspired by them. After such a loss we can become buried alive by grief and separated from finding beauty in the world. My intention with this series is to reveal our continued connections with those we've loved and lost by discovering their lasting impact on us and our surroundings. Once we find the beauty they left behind, like a ripple effect, our entire world again becomes beautiful.

They Stay With Us was created in response to my Oma's request to draw her a picture and the grief I felt after she passed away some days after. Oma was a fiercely positive influence in my life, always showing her devotion for the love she had, and the happiness she felt. Although she is gone in life I believe her spirit remains in the actions and values that reflect similarly to those of her own. I didn't have the opportunity to share these drawings with her but I know she's proud of me and so long as I love, laugh and smile I will be reminded of the example she set.