This painting is dedicated to my sweet husband, who has helped me to pick up the pieces of my broken heart and put them back together, over and over again. As we are going on seven years of marriage, I have been reflecting on the different broken pieces we each brought into our marriage. I am so grateful to have a partner that did not judge or get scared of any of my broken pieces. Instead, he also showed me his broken heart and together we fit those pieces together. What resulted was something more beautiful than either of us were on our own.
Kintsugi has become a very important symbol in my life. Kintsugi (???, "golden joinery") is a Japanese pottery technique where broken pottery is put back together with a gold lacquer. The golden cracks in the repaired pot are considered an important part of the pottery’s history - something that has made the pot even more beautiful and valuable than it was before. This pottery technique has helped me to reframe any hard, sad, or difficult thing that happens in my life. It reminds me that pain, heartache, and breakage are inevitable, but our hearts and our lives can be even more beautiful and precious in the aftermath. The brokenness is not something to be hidden or embarrassed of - it is a beautiful history that shows the character and strength of the pot.
There are many things that inspire my artwork, and my husband’s steadfast love is one of those things. He has taught me of the beauty, joy, peace, and love that can be felt when two broken hearts become one.
