Ode to a House
The loss of my childhood home to the Eaton Fire last year rekindled my art practice in an unexpected way. In spite of the unparalleled busyness of my life as a toddler mom, therapist and business owner who was now also navigating a huge upheaval in my family, the inspiration struck and I found myself carving out space from literally nothing to heed it.
The drive to create was borne out of grief - I loved that home and I was determined to salvage some small scraps of its materials and remake them into something our family could hold onto. The surprise was my willingness to stop everything else and prioritize it. I discovered anew my deep loyalty to my childhood memories, which are also inextricably tied to the memory of my mother.
After a year of sustained and focused effort, my body of work began to feel complete in early 2026. Titled Reconstructing Home: Eaton Fire Reflections, the pieces took shape as assemblages that described the experience of loss, memorialized spaces significant to our family, honored my late mother’s legacy and celebrated the power held by objects. Images of the pieces in this series can be viewed here.
As the series concluded, I felt an urge to connect back to the Altadena community. As a capstone to the work, I offered individual support and workshop experiences over the past few weeks for Eaton Fire survivors who wanted to turn their salvaged items into art pieces of their own. These offerings, which I called “Ode to a House,” came together as a meaningful and tender experience of shared grief, collective healing and undeniable connection.
The Altadenans who participated in the workshop granted me permission to share images of their art below so that others might witness this work. This lovely group of people has my sincere thanks for trusting me with their treasures and memories.
