fifty faces and two years

Over the last two years I have met or reconnected with fifty people and what an amazing experience it has been! I think getting to know them and trying to understand them has been a crucial part of this project and I have loved trying to translate that through paintbrush and color on canvas. I feel like I have made many new friends and in the process have found a deeper understanding of the trials and suffering of those of them who have mental illness. I have also come to realize through the experiences of these wonderful people how mental illness also affects friends, family and caregivers of the mentally ill. One in five of us have to deal with this daily struggle and I hope we can all be more aware and empathetic so that no one need hide their illness or feel ashamed.