Life As I Know It

About the Series

In 2014, my life fell apart. I found myself a divorced, young mother responsible for raising three young children. I had experienced a massive betrayal—one that shook me to my core. The shock and grief nearly drowned me, but succumbing to despair isn’t possible when you are the only thing between the most precious people in the world, and a monster. Life As I Know It is a visual journey through grief, processing trauma and healing. Through symbolism like corvids, undead unicorns, and phoenix— I map a story of facing anxiety, transformation and becoming.

Renew
Phoenix
Feather
A painting of a woman with long brown hair on a mountain top with her arms raised. She is looking towards a bright, glowing phoenix with wings spread wide, emitting light and flames, set in a landscape with mountains and trees.
A painting of a black undead unicorn running with a fiery phoenix flying in the sky behind it during sunset.
A painting of a black crow perched on a unicorn horn, which is attached to a horse skull, against a plain gray background.
A painting of a woman with long brown hair, wearing a red top, sits in a forest with a black undead unicorn with blue eyes. The unicorn is resting its head in her lap. There is a crow perched on her shoulder looking at the unicorn with the woman.
A painting of a unicorn skull surrounded by purple and pink flowers and green foliage.
Painting of a black undead unicorn with a flowing mane and visible bones protruding from its face, standing outdoors.
A painting of a black bird, possibly a crow or raven, perched on a tree stump with a small purple and green heather flower sprig in its beak, against a background of green foliage and blue sky.
Painting of a black crow perched on a nest with three eggs.
A painting of a woman as a harpy with dark hair and minimal makeup, sitting on the ground, wearing a black sleeveless top. She has brown feathered wings instead of arms, and is contrasted against a dark background.
A painting of a hand holding a small cluster of chamomile flowers with roots growing downward and into the wrist.
A hand holding a small cluster of purple lavender flowers painted on a gray background.
Painting of a woman with long brown hair and blue eyes, with a despondent expression. Her face is being grabbed by a person-shaped area of blank canvas.
A painting of a woman with long brown hair wearing a black face mask with a small stylized white vampire fang design and gray eyes, looking out a window.
A woman curled up on the floor beneath two large, illuminated eyes painted on the wall, creating an eerie atmosphere.
Close-up of a portrait painting of a young woman with long brown hair, blue eyes, and a serious expression. She is wearing a gray shirt with overalls, set against a dark background.
Painting of a teary-eyed but smiling young boy with short hair, wearing a striped shirt, holding toy water guns, standing in front of a fiery forest background.
Painting of a young girl with long brown hair, draped in plastic sheeting in a dark outdoor ocean setting at night, holding a bunch of plastic water bottles.
A girl with brown hair wearing a blue face mask and a long, vintage-style gray dress, holding a blanket in front of a dark city background.
A colorful painting of a young girl with long hair, wearing a hard hat and dress, while holding a shovel and a dress-up shoe. The background features a unicorn , an owl plush, a T-Rex dinosaur, and a yellow car, against a dark, vibrant backdrop.
A child with long brown hair resting her face on her hands, looking thoughtfully at the camera, in front of a plate of salad, with a background of large, colorful cupcakes with blue icing on a pastel purple sky.
A painting of a young boy with red hair holding a small baby doll with a bottle. There is a sword and toy guns on the table, and green army toy soldiers and a soldier with a rifle in the background. The boy has painted finger nails.
Painting of mother leading a zombie unicorn and the three children riding it through a forest with leafless trees, all dressed in medieval or fantasy-style clothing.
Painting of horse riders illuminated by torchlight traveling at night in a dark spooky forest, with stars visible in the sky.
A fabric ball, a chain, a bear trap, and a pair of rings, all arranged on a white surface. The sculpture is made out of wedding dress material, with veil material being used to make the ball.
A painted portrait of a man without eyes with red hair, a beard, and mustache, wearing a dark suit and tie, with a dark blue background.
A painting of a woman with long brown hair and blue eyes, holding a knife against puppet strings connected to her arms, against a dark background.
A pencil sketch of a bereaved woman lying down, resting her head on a pillow with her eyes partially closed, detailed shading on her face and hair.
A drawing of a mostly empty glass whisky bottle turned on its side with a dried rose on top, lying on crumpled wedding dress fabric.