Several changes have happened in my life as of late and I guess -- typical of most artists -- I feel the need to express these changes and transitions in my art. The largest one recently being the fact that my son started kindergarten. This is quite a significant event because for the last five years I have effectively been a "stay at home" mom. It is true all this time I have tried my best to maintain my love and passion for art. But it has been the job of being a mother that has really been my primary focus. Motherhood has changed, altered, shifted, and molded who I am today both physically and psychologically. Since the moment my son was born, he simply became an extension of me, and I of him.

This new routine of him being away a good part of the day while I am unaware and uninvolved in what he is seeing and doing has been difficult. Yet it also is starting to feel like the natural progression of things. I think he was at a point where he needed to be introduced to new people, concepts, and experiences outside of our home. At the same time, I was in need of reconnecting with who I used to be before I took on the title of mother. Being a mom can mean giving up yourself entirely in order to fully commit to the care of your child or children. A byproduct of this new transitional phase of motherhood is one in which my son and I can exist as separate individuals with our own unique set of needs, desires, and qualities. The change has also gifted me something I haven't had in a very long time. The gift of time. I hope to use this new found time to create work that is more thoughtful and reflective. I wish to make art now that internalizes this new phase of motherhood as I prepare for the next.