Celebrating the life of the late Jane Marie Whelan-Ward

I DON’T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO SAY, EXCEPT THAT I HAD TO DO THIS AND HOPED I COULD SHARE IT WITH YOU…

YOU SEE ITS MY THERAPY, MY WAY OF DEALING WITH IMMORTALITY, WITH LOSS, WITH THE FACT THAT SHE’S GONE…

SHE LEFT US ON A SUNDAY, 16TH FEBUARY 2003
SHE LIKED SUNDAY NIGHTS. I NEVER KNEW IF IT WAS THE PEACEFUL LINGERING OF A WEEKEND OR THE ANTICIPATION OF A MONDAY RUSH AND NEW BEGINNINGS…

ANYHOW, I DIDN’T BELIEVE THAT SHE WOULD LEAVE US… I BELIEVED ALL SHE HAD SAID OVER THE YEARS… AND LEAVING, GIVING UP, GOING WASN’T ONE OF THEM…

SO WE ALL TRY TO DEAL WITH IT AS BEST WE CAN
CRY, LAUGH, TALK, LISTEN, DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES
SILENCE…

I PAINT…
HOPING THE PAINT WILL LIQUIDLY HARNESS ME
SOMEHOW, SOMEWHERE, SOME TIME
FOR WITH OUT HER I FLOAT LIKE FLOTSAM AND JETSAM
HOMELESS IN MY HEART
ANCHORLESS IN MY SOUL
DETACHED…

THE PAINTING REPRESENT ‘US’ HOW I SAW HER, FELT HER, HEARD HER IN…

CANTERBURY, CHRISTCHURCH, THE FOUR SEASONS, SUN SET, SUN RISE, HOME, LIFE, LOVE, LAUGHTER, PASSION, OPTIMISM AND SPIRIT