Forty Years #26: Childbirth Journey

The first work that I consider to be truly my own was Childbirth Journey, a series of 15 abstract pastel drawings with calligraphy of excerpts from my journal. Here's what I wrote about the work on the back of the invitation: "As I tried to come to terms with the experiences of pregnancy and childbirth, I felt that while the baby was making a physical journey into the world, I was making an emotional journey to motherhood. The series is an attempt to express the wide range of emotions—up, down, and in-between—the made up the journey."

After the exhibition at the Newburyport Art Association, I questioned whether the wall was the right place for the work. It made sense on the wall of the gallery but I didn't want to hang them in my home. They were too emotional to look at all the time. I felt they needed to be presented in a more intimate form which is what led me to the handmade book.