The prompt to create art with spring as the inspiration spoke to me. After the stillness of winter, spring stirs with magic and promise. We say goodbye to winter’s early setting sun and inner solitude. We welcome the returning light, long shadows, children’s laughter and unfurling lime green ferns. The landscape turns from shades of gray to a colorful palette of sunflower yellow, lily white and rosy red. The fragrance of plumeria and the silence broken by busy bees reminds us summer is near.

The combination of my love of spring and my passion for using photographs when creating art gave birth to these floral pieces. Most of the time I use photos I’ve taken, and I also have a treasure trove of family photos from which to pick. Surrounded by pictures spread out on the carpet, I “listen” to the message they want to convey.

The piece titled “Happy” is a photo taken over three decades ago. It always evokes a smile when I look at it. The finished piece is a reminder we can choose how we look at different situations in our lives. In the words of Mother Teresa, “There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.” Even in dark times, we can look for the sunshine. Even in the winter of our lives, we can remember spring is returning.

Pictures of my mom always show up in my art. In the piece “Friends” my mom is the woman on the right. When I created this piece last summer little did I know it would be mother’s last. As of this writing, she passed away a couple of weeks ago. Once again I am reminded of the cycles of life. At first, death feels like the winter, cold and unforgiving. And yet seeds have been planted, the gift of memories, the bounty of unconditional love, the manifestation of lessons taught and the glimmerings of life everlasting. These things may feel distant and dormant in dark times but always, if there is life, there is the promise of spring returning.