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This is the second piece in the Winter Holiday Series. The first was S'no Man, which I donated to a silent auction to benefit M.S. I had planned to create it on three separate canvases of varying size, but after completing the sketch on one sheet of paper, it was clear that it was finished. This piece follows that same pattern; with three separated boxes of varying sizes on one sheet of 14" x 17" Strathmore Medium paper using Rembrandt soft pastels. SOLD to T. Joy, an art collector in Albuquerque, New Mexico

I rediscovered my love for art and found my passion for oil painting after being diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Fibromyalgia in 2005. Having previously worked as an audiologist and later in pharmaceuticals, chronic disease forced me to abandon my career to stay home and rest. What I didn't know was that a new opportunity was blooming. During this challenging period of change I was encouraged by my son-in-law, a very talented artist, to "just paint", but shortly thereafter we lost him to suicide. Having inherited the contents of his studio, his influence is present in my work. In the early years of learning to cope with all the loss and limitations that came with this chronic disease I felt...