"The Light She Carried" Original Mixed Media Painting 20x20 Canvas

The lotus rises
out of a painful terrain,
its petals refusing to remember
The light within it.

Grief is not absence,
it is the weight of presence
love that no longer
has a body to enter.

I watch the light catch
on dragonfly wings,
It’s brief presence reminding me
that beauty was always fleeting,
and still, lingered just enough.

You are everywhere…
in the silence between heartbeats,
in the bloom that keeps unfolding
In moments that take my breath away.

Your magic never fades.

This painting is a tribute to my lovebird, Marley. I began working on it before she passed and finished it two weeks after losing her. The process became part of my grieving.

One evening, while I was crying because I missed her, my partner asked me to stop and really look at the painting. He asked, “What do you see?” Through my tears, I said, “Grief and purity.” He then gently told me that he thought the lotus was Marley herself…the way I was holding it, fragile yet beautiful, pure yet strong.

Now I see her in that bloom: delicate, radiant, and filled with a unique magic. This piece became not only an expression of my grief, but also a way of honoring her magical spirit and the love she carried.

This piece is hand painted with highest quality acrylic, charcoal, acrylic inks, collage paper, Posca markers, Real Pressed Flowers, multi colored gold leaf, thick texture, carandace crayons, and spray paint. Back-stapled with a wood framed back and ready to hang on your wall. Hangers already installed. All originals are sealed with varnish to protect the life of the painting. Ships in packaged box bubble wrap and comes with a certificate of authenticity, Handwritten letter from artist with wax seal, and free stickers. We also offer fast shipping via USPS. Women Owned Business. Made in the USA