Inspired by some dried roses, I am pushing myself into abstraction and exploring forms and lines. I wanted to see how both forms and lines can both define and disrupt the shapes of the roses. Painting these old roses celebrates beauty in every age and helps me love my body despite all the challenges of advanced cancer and other chronic illnesses that have destroyed the body I once knew. It’s left me with a shell that I must learn to love and painting this is helping me to see flawed beauty is as beautiful as perfection.