William Schaaf

Ardennes (for my mom) Oil, Acrylic & Mixed Media on Canvas,
58" X 64"

Ardennes (For My Mom), was basically done in three stages, over a four year period of time. During this time, my mother, who had been a surgical nurse for many years, developed lymphatic cancer, which spread to other parts of her body and led to her passing away after a two-year struggle. It was a very frustrating and painful process for me and my father, with whom I became very close during this experience. I didn't realize, until a year or so after her death, that I had used Ardennes, this very powerful and deeply rooted-in-the-ground monolith, as a way to ground myself during that trying time and as a direct symbol. I was using color and light to energize and illuminated the psychic space of the painting, while unconsciouly dissolving the body of this sturdy creature into the fleeting atmosphere surrounding it. Perhaps it was my way of showing how fragile and impermanent life is. This was a kind of medicine piece that I made for my own peace and stability."- William Schaaf Back