The Series
The Tree of Tears Series is a commission for Thomas Jefferson University’s David Farber ASPIRE Center, Philadelphia, PA. The series depicts the complexity of illness, grief, and recovery through kaleidoscopic tears.
The Imagery
Within the Tree of Tears Series, tears appear as trees and represent the healing power of nature and crying. The colorful interiors of each tear represent a lifetime of promise, hope, loss, and pain. The blank field on which the tears float represents the emptiness surrounding our grief, and the tear soaked terrain reminds us that we are not alone in our pain, that many have come before us and been healed.
The Palette
The colorful palette used in this series is vibrant and playful. It was chosen to project the hope, light, and joy that is found in the midst of grief and recovery.
The Medium
This series is created with a mix of new and old broken crayons. Old broken crayons represent the fragility and brokenness of the human condition. The incorporation of new whole crayons represents the adoption of new ideas and skills needed to ensure our brokenness and recovery will be used to bring beauty into the world.
The Installation
The Tree of Tears Series includes multiple paintings. The primary painting is 48h x 36w inches and depicts a single kaleidoscopic tear seeping into the earth. You may view it at the David Farber ASPIRE Center in The Franklin located at 834 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA.