This painting is called The Travelers, and it was the first painting I finished after having major surgery. I love this painting because it was like a greeter on the path to the rest of my life. The little girl is based on me as a child and the cat is the stray cat that comes into our backyard. We named him Sylvester.
The little girl is holding an umbrella over a jizo, a Buddhist deity of travelers and children. He is often a source of comfort for people who have lost children or had miscarriages or abortions. It is believed that the jizo helps the spirits of these children cross the river to the other side. I’d like to think that this jizo has protected my inner child all these years as she’s traveled with me in my life.
