Birthday

Birthday, oil on canvas, 22 × 18”

Birthday is an emotionally charged original oil painting on canvas (rendered in thick, swirling layers of paint. An expression of a difficult day and inspired by my hero, Vincent Van Gogh’s impasto technique, this composition is the symbol of my first birthday spent without my mother. This floral still life painting was created from observation of a bouquet gifted by my beloved Aunt Bernadette, who has lovingly mothered me in my mother’s stead. The result is a deeply personal tribute—an expressive, textured work that honors my mother.