PALS

PALS began through my friendship with Bobby, who lived with ALS for nine and a half years after his diagnosis at twenty-six. Some paintings begin with words Bobby gave me when speaking had become difficult. Written into the first layers, those words lead the paintings toward color, movement, resilience, and the intensity of being alive.

The series holds the difficulty and beauty of witnessing his life while honoring the hope, humor, and connection he shared with the people around him.

The words within PALS changed the way I entered a painting. They became an accessible first mark, holding feeling before an image had appeared. That practice continues in my current work, where written language is built into the surface and remains present even after it can no longer be read.