Most don’t know the story of how my family moved from Maryland to Texas. I still can’t believe it myself. One winter afternoon, my husband and I were watching HGTV’s “House Hunters” complaining about the cold & fantasizing about moving. Then it hit us — my husband worked 100% remotely, I had recently left my advertising career to be a full time mom & the boys were not yet in school… nothing was holding us back!
The plan then formed: we would rent out our home for 2 yrs and travel to 4 cities, 6 months each. After 2 yrs, we’d come back to Maryland in time for our eldest to start Kindergarten. We decided on Austin, Denver, Chicago, and Charleston. Things happened almost too easily. We found a great family to rent our home, a furnished Austin rental on Craigslist, sold our 2nd car & moved all but clothes and kid gear into storage. 6 months from that HGTV episode, we hit the road with a U-haul & 2 kids (9 mos & 3yrs) and drove to a city we’d never set foot in.
It was scary and thrilling at the same time. We explored the city, had adventures and found a community of friends. It was fun, but I could also feel my whole identity shifting - going from a high-paced advertising creative to full time mom, to starting over in a new city and meeting all new people… The “Rewriting the Path” series is my reflection of this time. The vertical pattern of colors represents my Maryland life: familiar and predictable. The stark path carving through represents us taking a total sideways turn, defining a new direction and disrupting the pattern. The path continues across all 4 paintings, highlighting the progression of my journey. The cool tones signify the pace - calmly unfolding over time.
As you might have guessed, 6 months became an extended stay. After 2 years, we sold our Maryland house and committed to make Austin home. So that’s the meaning behind “Rewriting the Path”. Makes you see it differently now, huh?
Originals & prints of “Rewriting the Path” available here and here.
