“Winterface”

Oil on canvas, 14”x14”

This abstract self-portrait was painted in the aftermath of heartbreak…a quiet unraveling that I kept to myself. I didn’t talk about the pain or show it outwardly, but I expressed and let it live here, on canvas. On the surface, it’s just another “weird abstract,” but beneath it lies a swollen, tear-streaked face caught in a snowstorm of emotion.

The winter theme reflects the cold, empty feeling that followed the loss. Snowflakes fall silently, like all the words I never said. The bold shapes and surreal layers mask my sadness, just as I did in real life.

Winterface was what I showed the world while I was quietly falling apart. Painting—especially abstract—has always been my way of telling a story and expressing myself without ever having to say a word.