I had it in mind to do a small charcoal portrait from an old photo of my Mom to begin my daily project, but while I was baking yesterday afternoon, I looked out the window at the bright sun shining on the brilliant snow and got the notion to grab the ash can and draw with the crumbly gray powder directly on the clean white expanse of my garden. In the back of my mind I must have been remembering seeing photos of this installation, but when I'm drawing with charcoal, I'm always aware that it is burnt wood that I am handling. Ashes on snow feels alot like charcoal on paper. I liked the idea of making this impermanent portrait in nature from materials that are organic - it seemed an especially fitting start to this venture of honoring (my mother's, and all of our) transient life. I also need to honor my creative process each day and welcome without judgement whatever private rituals I feel compelled to perform as I work through losing my mother...
