“Father, Where Did You Go?” by Lori Earley

Some pieces speak to you as soon as you see them. For me that was the case with Lori’s “Father, Where Did You Go?”. As soon as I saw Lori share her on Instagram I immediately emailed her about purchasing her. Thankfully Lori let me break the purchase into a couple payments so I could add this phenomenal piece to my collection. Always grateful when artists work with me so I can add their amazing art to my collection.

I’m not going to say much about the piece but rather what Lori shared when she posted it.
“I lost my father this year. We were talking and eating dinner and then he stood up and literally fell down and died in front of me with no warning. Without thinking, I started CPR on him right away (didn’t even know I knew how to do it!), but me and the EMT’s couldn’t save him. They asked if I wanted to see him one more time but he was wrapped in a body bag. So my last kiss for my father was my lips pressed against hard plastic covering his cheek. The entire experience has changed my perspective on life. I write “Media vita in morte sumas” on my arm everyday to remind me how precious life is, and how fast it can be taken from you. It means “In the midst of life we are in death.” I am obsessed with the thought that energy cannot be destroyed or created, therefore I wonder where his energy went when he passed. Did I breathe it in when I was performing CPR? Is it in the wind that blows through my hair? Is his soul in that dragonfly that landed on my shoulder the other day? (someone once told me dragonflies are all the dead souls). I’m not sure about that but keep an open mind always. I ask myself everyday, “where did you go???” The other day when I closed my dresser drawer hard, my music box on top played the last line of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and it played the line “How I Wonder Where You Are...” Strange. Anyway, this is what this piece is about. It’s a drawing very close to my heart.”

Such a wonderfully sentimental piece and one that I know she had a hard time letting go. So grateful to be giving this phenomenal piece her forever home.

Size 7” x 12” on 11” x 14” paper