My Mother's Vase

Monica has always turned to art as a way of expressing herself and bringing her thoughts to life. She works primarily in oils, painting portraits, figurative works, florals, and landscapes. She also illustrates children’s books in gouache.
Monica’s mental health has been a lifelong challenge, shaped by a difficult childhood and adulthood, followed by decades of recovery. Today, Monica has built meaningful and joyful relationships with family and friends who support and love her. Yet, even in this brighter chapter, daily triggers remain, and she relies on personal practices to maintain balance and wellbeing. 

For Monica, painting and drawing are lifelines to light - reminders that the world is richer and more whole when we give expression to our inner selves.

Follow Monica on Instagram and check out her website.

I inherited a hand-painted vase from my mother, placing it on the coffee table with flowers from the florist and my garden. As I painted over the next few days, some of the petals began to fall, and I painted them dancing around the flowers, like my mother danced during her life. I deliberately kept this painting loose and lively. I love to paint flowers because they bring so much life and joy into the room.