After my 20-year-old-sister died in 1999, my art took on a new purpose: to comfort myself with images of the hope and healing I wanted to feel, hear and see. It is easy to forget what I most need to cope in this life of pain and beauty. But reminders do come, sometimes from the most unlikely places, like exquisitely beautiful decaying apples, or a frozen woolly bear caterpillar. Painting what I notice—and sharing about what I paint—is how stay focused on those life-giving reminders: You can get through this. It’s okay to rest. Nourish your spirit. Stop, look up and see the goodness. You are inherently worthy. Love is right here with you.