Letters to My Dad
Mixed Media Artwork on Canvas | 2023
 
Infused with memory, prayer, and pigment, Letters to My Dad is a layered visual conversation with my late father, Dr. Gary L. Lemons. Known for his compassionate spirit and abstract paintings that dance between the seen and unseen, his influence lives in the heart of this work.
 
The artistic process involved a soulful blend of ritual and practice—acrylic paint, Yerba Santa ashes, and collaged Father's Day cards all combine in the work like a handwritten letter across the ocean of time. Each brushstroke echoes the intimacy of grief and gratitude. Deep turquoise connects to the color my Father often painted with, and soft golds are a nod to our shared reverence for transformation and truth.
 
Fragments of Father's Day cards are layered intentionally, symbolizing the beautiful process of remembering. This work is part of a lineage of visual storytelling inspired by ancestral memory.