#piecedproject: Connection. A demonstration of love. A link to friendship, to family, to being more because of those we love.
When I think about connection, I think about my childhood friends. In 1996, I was 15-years-old, and found myself suddenly transported to Houston, Texas, after growing up in very rural Massachusetts. My mom had gotten a new awesome job, so the whole family packed up and moved onto Texas. We GTT'd like that best of em! (that's Gone To Texas! for non-Texas folks!).
Of course, I was excited and horrified at the same time. Aside from my mom's family in Houston, I knew no one, and was not too excited about starting a new high school as "the new kid." I missed the friends I had grown up with- that comfort of knowing where I fit in, who I could count on, and who I loved and who loved me.
This is where connection comes in, and for me 20 years ago, it was through letter writing. The internet was in its infancy, and long distance calling was costly (on an actual land line phone!), so Heather, Nicki, Emily and I wrote each other letters. I told them about my first days of school, about joining the choir, about the abundance of art classes I could take, and how much I missed them. They in turn told me about their adventures, heartaches and triumphs. We probably wrote hundreds of letters to each other throughout high school, visited every summer, and instead of growing apart, I found that our bond grew stronger. In fact, we are all still friends to this day.
The gang circa 1998: Nicki, Heather, Me, Emily
Flash forward to present, and the dawn of the technology age. How do we connect? Through texting, facetime, social media. But how do we symbolize connection with friends and family in a digital age? What is concrete that we can hold in our hands like a letter? Something that will be there smiling reminding us we aren't alone?
The #piecedproject is a grouping of canvases that when put together form one painting: like a jigsaw puzzle except each piece stands alone. Only together with the other pieces as a whole do you ever realize the painting is part of a larger paining. Complete on its own- made greater as a whole. Toby, I am greater because of you. My friends and family- I am greater because of you.
To me, the #piecedproject is a symbol of the connection we have with the ones we love. I have sold many #piecedproject paintings to groups of friends- Ashley in New York has the upper left, Becky in Kansas, has the upper right, Jessy in San Francisco the lower left and so on. The friends all have a piece of a larger painting. The perfect reminder of friendship, love and a bond that is unbreakable.
How do you connect in this digital age? What symbols do you draw from? I'm interested to hear your thoughts. Comment below or on social media with the #piecedproject hashtag to join the discussion.