This work is also a part of the aforementioned series. Additionally, since it is no longer safe to travel, it has become increasingly important for me to include people I have met through traveling in this series. This body of work has enabled me to think intensely about people I know or have known. The creation process has been a different way of spending time with, or “seeing”, people and I have found it to be quite rewarding and personally important.

This painting depicts 2 children that were part of the host family whose house I helped build with Habitat for Humanity in Kenya. In the background was their original house which was a mud structure. It kept falling apart and they had to re-build it almost daily. Building the new house with the family was an amazing experience for the Habitat group but also brought a sense of empowerment and better life to that family. Though there were language, racial, religious, and economic differences between the Habitat group and the people there, the interaction brought us all a sense of togetherness, understanding, and appreciation for each other. I was impressed by the family’s happiness, lovingness, and zest for life.