Among You: Drawn to Compassion

A series of 30 portraits

Acrylic, charcoal, pastel / gessoed panel

9 x 12 inches

I came to All Saints Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills and learned of the church’s work with in-need populations. I was invited to take on processing parishioners’ clothing donations and in-turn taking clothing requests from the Monday lunch guests to hand out on a weekly basis.  As a costumière, I was right at home, assembling outfits according to requests and individual style with honor.  It was this hands-on and hand-to-hand work that brought me to the heart of prayer in the tactility of contemplation. The work took on a measure of economic redress—recycling garments from those in abundance to those in need.

Various

Charcoal acrylic and pastel on gessoed board or paper.

From the top: Sarah Tay—singer/songwriter, performer, mother; Sebastien Betley—musician, educator; Jena Malone—actor

Clockwise from the top: 5 x 5, 8 x 10, 9 x 12, 9 x 12, 10 x 14, 8 x 10 inches

I delight in the crackle of charcoal against various surfaces.