This painting was created during the first couple weeks of my residency at QC Family Tree when I was getting to know the people who live in the neighborhood of Enderly Park. I believe every individual has their own story they want to share. Tory and Marie were two people that I met during a neighborhood walkabout. These two individuals are good friends. It was so great to hear them talk about their personal life. Tory has been in the neighborhood for about 17 years and he has seen so many things happen around him, good and bad. He speaks about freedom, violence, and much more. The words in the art piece reflect what Tory shared with me. Although Marie did not live in the neighborhood herself, I was interested in her story. I painted her with two birds around her to represent her two children that passed away in a car accident many years ago, caused by a drunk driver. I use symbolism in this painting to interpret the feelings and emotions I experienced with Tory and Marie alongside my own feelings as I think about what is going on when they speak and what is going on at this moment while I create in QC Family Tree studio space.
