“Cut open to the Glory. The poignant insides that claim me. The loyalty that erupts. When she looks at me I want to be my best self.”

When I think of my childhood and teenage years, there are only a few people that I can say really shaped me.  Lydia was one of those people.  She was incredible and had a deep impact on me as a whole. One of the biggest things that clicked into place was that she made me realize that I am an artist.  Being with her and experiencing her point of view helped me expand my whole self and really want to be an artist in the true sense of the word.  To live life as if you are actually inside a poem...living and breathing a poem.  A lifetime of beautiful coincidences and moments of joy and revelation.  She has always been someone I have looked up to.  I thought of her the whole time I made this painting.  It is a vision of her in particular in regard to how she would look at me....the power her gaze would have over me.  A true friend and mentor.