“Washed and Waiting” is a painting of my mother with her rabbit, a deeply personal tribute to her journey with Alzheimer’s disease. For several years, she battled this devastating illness, eventually losing the ability to speak and move almost entirely. Despite these challenges, she found a way to communicate—offering the gentlest squeeze of a hand to show recognition.

Watching her decline was one of the most difficult experiences of my life, yet in those years of suffering, I felt our bond grow stronger. Alzheimer’s is a cruel disease that affects millions worldwide, causing immense pain not only for those diagnosed but also for their loved ones who endure the slow loss alongside them.

I chose to paint my mother as I remember her—not as she was before the illness, but in the final months of her life, when our connection felt deeper than ever. Those moments, though heartbreaking, were also profoundly precious, and I wanted to capture them on canvas while she was still with us.”

“It is finished” depicts the 12th Station of the Cross—”The Death”—a moment that marks Christ’s final breath on the cross. With 14 stations in total, each illustrating different stages of His trial, crucifixion, and burial, this particular moment carries immense weight.

Embarking on this painting started an emotional and deeply spiritual journey. Who willingly spends weeks immersed in the depiction of death? Yet, I wanted to capture the desolation and darkness of that moment, drawing from my own experience of being with loved ones as they passed.

To my surprise, as time went on, focusing on Jesus’ death brought an unexpected sense of deep peace. The love that led to this moment, the willingness to suffer, and the complete vulnerability—His nakedness as a symbol of utter humility—became an invitation to reflect on what it truly means to be human.

For years, I’ve sought to understand what it means to be spiritual. But through this process, I’ve come to see that the real pursuit is learning what it means to be fully human. And in Christ’s life, I believe, we find the perfect example of that.