Dear Little Emily: Psychosomatic, or Grandma Frees the Ptarmigan

This, the story of my own and my grandmother's 'psychosomatic' illness, is the third in the Dear Little Emily series of recordings. The painting is lifesize, oil and graphite on canvas. It's a portrait of my grandmother, with a ptarmigan flying out of her arms, and a big flutter of red poppy petals falling off it, as it goes. This is the metaphorical release of the Ukrainian war trauma, which may or may not have caused our illness. Dear Little Emily is a series of letters to my much-younger self, in which I explore love, growth, loss, and belonging. Letters are also published in type-form at https://emilyartist.ca