Patching life back together
I made Patchy with acrylic paint and simple brushstrokes. At the time, the thought that kept coming back was that I was patching my life back together. I’d been through so much and keeping going with FREEBRD when I didn’t know if I could had me with so much emotion. That feeling became the heart of the painting, and its name.
Blue-green panels sit inside thick black outlines, alongside yellow, muted pink, circular marks, and red lines. White paint drips cross the composition. The pieces hold together without becoming perfectly neat, and that matters to the story behind the work.
Looking to the sky
The blue represents the sky. In that moment, it was where I looked for help and peace. That color holds a quieter part of the painting, even with the bold lines and restless marks around it.
Lily, the studio dog
The white paint drips represent my dog Lily, the studio dog. With her, I felt my cup overflowing with joy in the middle of such sadness. She became my motivation to keep striving with FREEBRD and to keep reaching for happiness in general. If you follow me on Facebook then you know that there was once a point where I wasn’t sure if I was going to become an amputee or not.
Those drips carry that feeling for me: joy that could overflow, even when life felt difficult, and with that I began to heal in ways that are unimaginable.
Making the grunge beautiful
I gave Patchy an urban street-art look because I was feeling so grunge at the time. But I knew I had to make that grunge beautiful. The bold outlines, uneven shapes, and paint drips belong to that decision. The painting holds the sadness and the joy together.
Give its color a place
When a room needs a strong focal point, let Patchy's black outlines and blue-green panels lead. When you want to carry its warmth into the space, pick up the yellow in a small accent. Keep nearby pieces simple so the geometric shapes and drips have room to speak.
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