Series 7 Description and TOC

I am an addict. 7 Series chronicles my first year in sobriety. I moved from place to place within the greater Los Angeles area until I was able to stand on my own two feet. FAT CELLS starts with the moment I hit rock bottom and consequently went through physical and emotional withdrawal. This being particularly unpleasant as the fat-soluble drugs in my system lingered long after I stopped using.

7 Series 01- Fat Cells, 2016

Ink on vellum. 12" x 18"

02 Vessels

In very early sobriety, the Sliver Lake Reservoir was the only place I could find comfort when I felt completely broken. VESSELS is about the day I met Jay, my first sponsor. Hours after walking around defeatedly, asking for some direction, this stranger would describe himself as a vessel, and somehow that was the first thing that made sense in a long time.

7 Series 02- Vessels, 2016

Ink on vellum. 12" x 18"

03 Trains

At 26 days sober my live-in boyfriend broke up with me. TRAINS documents the move to Pico Rivera with a very loving aunt. Those three months were filled with conversations, trains and smoke breaks and remain some of my most cherished memories.

7 Series 03- Trains, 2016

Ink on vellum. 12" x 18"

04 Pink Clouds

Every Sunday afternoon a group of "misfits" gathered at a church in Glendale on Colorado Street. This was the first place where I felt true belonging. PINK CLOUDS is a term used within recovery groups to describe the elated feelings of initial clarity only to be crushed by the painful memories that emerge before doing the hard work to really find peace.

7 Series 04- Pink Clouds, 2016

Ink on vellum. 12" x 18"

05 Mist

My aunt sold her house in Pico Rivera at the beginning of fall and a friend of a friend took me in. MIST details my experience living in La Canada Flintridge which was transformational and in sync with the palpable changes in the air that occur right up against the mountain.

7 Series 05- Mist, 2016

Ink on vellum. 12" x 18"

06 Red Shift

I decided on a tiny studio apartment in Thai Town on Normandie Avenue when I was finally able to stand on my own. It was unsafe, but had the most incredible and unobstructed view of Griffith Observatory.

RED SHIFT is observed as the fabric of space expands, paralleling my own growth.

7 Series 06- Red Shift, 2016

Ink on vellum. 12" x 18"

07 Let Go

After a year spent living slightly terrified of my neighbors, I moved to Westwood to start a new job.

LET GO recounts my new found commitment to being of service, showing up, and knowing that no matter what happened I would be okay.

7 Series 07- Let Go, 2016

Ink on vellum. 12" x 18"