i am sassa

September 22, 2020

I didn’t think I’d finish her today but I love her. I stayed up all night drawing her for this painting and I think I’ve been running on emotional fumes all day.

I very often see people in the people I paint. Just a random glimpse. First I saw Virginia Judy Miller Campbell in her grin. Then each of my sisters, at different stages. One brushstroke for a highlight in her glasses and she was Ginny Campbell. The blue in her eyes was Alison Campbell. I saw myself in the wave of her hair. My mom. I saw my reflection in the metal leaf of that iconic collar as I pushed her paint around. And fleeting glimpses of a dozen other women, at least.

I am trying to paint every day, but some days are harder than others. Some days, like today, I can’t help it. Paint is a conduit for my heart. It holds my joy and my grief. It allows me to try to understand people, to honor and connect with people in a way that nothing else does. Sharing the things I paint and getting feedback and having conversations about it, seeing others connect with the work I make... you guys just really have no idea what that means. I can’t thank my friends enough for all the kind words and for sharing my work. I don’t know how to say how much that truly means to me.

Thank you Ruth Bader Ginsberg, for a lifetime of service. Thank you for everything you fought for. Thank you for making this a better place for us to be.