I painted this during the early summer of 2005, after a very long legislative session filled with senseless battles and  frustrations, one evening I saw this thought.   "This too shall pass" was the thought that would come to life hope and no hope.  My recovery like most I know is rooted in faith-of a better way better day better direction.  Whatever the situation good or bad and knowing it will get better or at least it will get different is in itself hope for challenging days, the days I was personally growing tired of it seemed.  Years we had been organizing working together, uniting people, inspiring them, educating folks and asking them to join in the work that offered the most for those with often the least among us.

Those days have come to our state and our people, and we know hope is present all the while, even if we don't feel it yet, it is there, "Your heavenly father will never let you down"  is a quote that has been repeated to me since I stumbled into recovery 14 years ago--even if I don't understand how, I do always seem to  believe there is hope in the best of ways on the darkest of days, and that is based on days gone by and truths revealed.

It is pretty amazing how all of the paintings I would come to call the "Katrina series" quietly emerged to  reflect both no hope, and this painting, Know Hope.  Unplanned, like all my painting, this  vision of light breaking a storm not yet formed or known to us would come to mean a great deal both in my personal journey and the movement my soul is so connected to.  Reflections on canvas, that are needed to remind the optimist in these days that have come to us, to our people, and to a country that seemed almost in shock when realizing the landscape of a place I call home.

1.  "Know Hope"

2.  "She's on her way"

3.  "Katrina"

4.  "Loosing New Orleans"

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