Azalea Sunset

Azalea Sunset, 2026, Acrylic and Latex Enamel on Canvas, 24”x48”x.5”

Those who follow my process know that I rely on intuition — a "flash" that comes to me when developing new work. With this piece, I knew I wanted to work with a pink so hot it's almost painful. Once I started, I found myself musing over the previous flower-centered pieces in my collection.

Azaleas hold a special place in my family, on both my mother's and father's sides. They grew in the yard of the home I grew up in, and they are growing now in my grandmother's garden behind the house where I currently live. I have a photograph of my uncle and my grandmother standing together behind that house, next to the azaleas. I also have a photograph of my grandparents planting azaleas near my uncle's grave.

I have been working on a painting of my grandmother in her garden with azaleas — a piece that is proving to be a multi-year undertaking, too important to rush. Suffice to say, the symbolism of this flower is loaded, for me.

In developing this piece, I came to recognize the azalea as both celebratory and a marker of grief. The heat of the color palette, combined with that poignancy, reminded me of a sunset — hence the title.

The resulting image is both extremely loud and difficult to see. And this feels like a continuation of my exploration of the visible and invisible in various spaces.

This and other developing works will be on view at the Andrew Freedman Home Artist Talk on Sunday May 31st, 2026. I and the other residents will be sharing about the works to be included in our upcoming show in July.

RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/air-artist-talk-tickets-1990209515235

To learn more about this and other works by the artist, click here: