On May 23, 2022, twenty-one lives ended far too soon in Uvalde TX. In the days after the senseless mass shooting at Robb Elementary School,
I created portraits of the victims.
Together with volunteers in the area, I donated copies to all of the families.
I choose to highlight each child in a way that showed their energy, vibrancy, and joy.
I also intentionally left many pieces missing from the portraits, to
symbolize the lives that were were senselessly cut short; their stories are paintings that will never be finished.
The senseless violence of American gun culture must stop.
I was profoundly hit by the impact of this massacre… my children are the same age as these children, and I used to live a few hours
away from Uvalde. I was deeply saddened by the loss these families will forever face.
Creating these portraits was the only way I
knew how to cope with the sadness, confusion, and anger that I was feeling at the time; I literally wept as I created them.
It was heartbreaking to speak with the families, and at first I was worried that these portraits would be too hurtful for them to bear…
but the families overwhelmingly told me that they brought a little light back to their lives.
It is encouraging to know that something
as simple as a drawing can make someone feel better; and I guess that’s what art is for… knowing there is hope that a single person
can help make a small difference in the world.
Together with volunteers in the area, local television news stations, and the community church, I donated copies
of the portraits to all of the families.