22x27.75
Original oil painting on canvas panel
 
In this painting, an empty chair stands solitary and still, its quiet presence speaking volumes in the silent room. Inspired by Vincent Van Gogh's painting of an empty chair, I wanted to create a similar painting in honor of my Uncle Joe who passed away last August in a car accident.
 
Losing Joe has left a hole in my heart that is so hard to put into words. I wasn’t super close to him, so I often question the validity of my heartache. The hardest part of losing him, has been witnessing my family grieve. My dad’s grief, most of all, hurts the most for me to see. I often find myself thinking, “this isn’t real”. I wish I could open up his chest and somehow fix the huge hole left in his heart.
 
We were lucky to go on a family trip just a month before Joe died. It was a river trip and at night we’d all sit in our camp chairs and talk and laugh. I think back to that trip often— how I took all those people in those camp chairs for granted. I think of how lucky we were to be together. Queen Elizabeth wisely said, “Grief is the price we pay for love”. Oh, how true those words are.
 
Above the empty chair, I painted a framed painting of a door left open. Although Joe left, there have been so many signs that he is still near. This painting is not just a reflection of sorrow, but also a tribute to the enduring impact of those we have lost. The empty chair, much like a page in a journal, holds stories untold, emotions unspoken, and a legacy that transcends the confines of time.