Girl with No Hair 2019

Years ago I found a photograph of a young woman in a bathrobe.  I think it was in a newspaper, but I'm not sure.  I can't remember where the photo was taken, or what it was about, just that I loved the honest intensity of her gaze and her bald head. So I cut it out and kept it.

Recently I found out about the death of another student of mine from breast cancer,  Suzanne Simpson. Suzanne took several of my workshops at Anderson Ranch in Colorado, both three week immersives.  She was chronically late for the start of the workshops(by many days), but, once she showed up, she was there.  She was warm, engaging, and loved helping the other students, which was sometimes a problem because she wouldn't get to her own work.  She could perseverate for days on a piece, and would often start completely over if it wasn't exactly right(which made me a little crazy). She did several pieces that were absolutely exquisite; small paintings that combined a cracked surface with a new technique we were just learning, emulsion transfers.

I only found out about her death recently, even though she died over a year and a half ago.  It was a shock to think that she wouldn't be showing up in anymore of my workshops.  I'll miss her.