Pure Grief

18" x 14" | Oil

Pure grief is my intended object in this painting. I cannot help but think about the people in Ukraine right now, their grief, what they have and are suffering and what they have ahead of them.

I hope that this painting conveys something of that emotion. I based this particular image on an article and photograph that I read. This gentleman has just learned that his little girl's body was discovered in an alley nearby. He physically and emotionally collapsed into the arms of a friend. It reminds me of our connectedness and dependence on one another even where there are no adequate words. As far as I know, there are no helpful things to say at a time like this. No belief system or doctrine is helpful in moments like this. Only a physical hug and touch can convey a very human emotion. In times like racial, political, educational-divides, differences mean nothing. Only our shared human experiences last.