*In respect of fellow family members I’ve leaving the person in question vague, if you know who I’m talking about you know*

A month ago was the anniversary of a loved one who passed unexpectedly. Realizing what day it was cast an introspective pall on the rest of the day. It brought to mind the mixed media drawing that I created in 2013 in reflection of that loved one.

The summer of 2013, I was beginning my journey as a BFA Drawing candidate. Each day for class I was sketching and reviewing past work to decide on what would be my focus in my BFA work. I came to the conclusion that I wanted to analyze the concept of duality by analyzing my own life experiences and how dual opposing forces influence our day to day.

I can’t say for sure how exactly I conjured the imagery for The White Doe but I knew I wanted to create a piece about my feelings regarding my loved one’s passing the November before. I distinctly remember that the week of her passing that my uncle had mentioned seeing a white doe on his property. I do believe in omens and that signs are sent to us from a Higher Power. I interpreted this appearance of a white doe as a sort of psychopomp, a spiritual guide to the the afterlife, especially since it coincided with her unexpected passing around the same time. Does as a symbol are feminine, delicate, fleet of foot and keen of sense(s).

The White Doe is a reflection on life and death, and the beauty in both. The doe is beautiful, the bones underneath are visible and adorned with floral elements. The decoration of the bones and celebration of her life through this piece was inspired by the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, especially since her passing occurred shortly after this special holiday. The ability to see the outer and inner ties into the idea of duality by allowing the viewer to see two opposite surfaces simultaneously.

This piece was a real turning point in my artistic endeavors, style-wise and concept-wise. It began my introspective journey as I started to share my ideas with others. Currently The White Doe is residing in my studio as a reminder and as inspiration for future artworks.