My Mother’s Passing

2015

This project reflects the events surrounding my mother’s burial on the family farm in Rotan, Arkansas. I had a complex and strained relationship with my mother, Nancy Sherwood, and only in her death have I allowed myself to remember who she was. She spent the last ten years of her life estranged from my sister and I, at her request. We were on our way to see her when we received the news she had passed of cancer, only learning of her illness two days before.

My mother was sixteen when I was born. She felt that I stole her youth- a resentment that led me to experience much confusion in my young life. She was demanding and selfish. She rattled my brain. Nancy Sherwood was larger than life. As a child, I wanted to be just like her; she was beautiful, smart, and talented, and most importantly, an artist. I loved the way she looked when she was painting, with her pants and sleeves rolled up and her hair in a scarf, her face glowing with excitement. I loved how she would light up a room with her smile and stories. She talked of our adventures, but mostly our many moves. We moved sixteen times while I was growing up. She wanted us to see the world. 

I love my mother, and I continue to make art because of her. She is a big part of who I am, and for that I am grateful.