Artist Statement

Suffering constant, unrelenting pain I found myself trying to protect my family by hiding the pain.  My daughters, 4 and 8 at the time, were aware of my disabling pain but I wanted so much to be a normal mom.  I never wanted them to feel the burden of my condition.  My older daughter particularly worried about me and I could see the effects of my condition on her behavior.  The daily struggle to shield the girls inspired this piece.   In the collage I included phrases, in the form of magazine clippings, as well as packaging from the plethora of medications I was prescribed to portray the mix of emotions and thought.