Just the 3 of Us, 2022, acrylic on watercolor paper, 10 × 14 inches

Capturing a retrospective of a past memory of me, my mom, and my sister in my childhood home, I tried to encapsulate all the definitive details of what I used to know, what used to be my normal. My grandmas’ couch and pillows are in the background, some of which they would make, while our classic wide mirror lays above us in this antique living room. I felt moved to take this childhood photo and create this other worldly painting out of it due to wanting to relive cherished memories. This piece shows a time when all of those who I now grieve were still physically around me in that present moment. This was a moment of just the 3 of us, my mom, my sister, and me plus all the family that were still alive from then. It’s now a precious memory and truly just my mom, my sister, and me who live in the present. I wanted to add the touch of the roses on the perimeters of this painting to show the adoration of love I have for my loved ones in the present, and those that have passed on.