Mirabel
Acrylic on Panel
48” x 32”
2024
Mirabel is a portrait of my daughter as a young girl in the world, surrounded by the magic and mystery of nature, and accompanied by her two cat companions. An abstracted and bubbling sea rises up toward her toes while the sun sets behind her over the mountains of home. The imagery references traditional fairytales in the casting of the young girl as protagonist with animal companions as guides through the enchanted wilderness. In this painting, Mirabel embodies the deeply engaged young people of her generation as they navigate the complexity of the world in which they live. Profoundly concerned with issues of climate crisis, but holding close a hope for a kinder future, she carries in one hand a globe, complete with swirling atmosphere, and a flickering candle in the other.
