This is the first painting in a series where I intend to explore the Victorian language of flowers, an old code once used to express unspeakable emotions, to speak up about what feels unspeakable in our current national climate.

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In this painting, I’ve included five symbolic plants: Wild Petunia (anger), Quaking Grass (uneasiness), Pansy (hostile thoughts/I resist you), Marigold (grief, despair, and mourning) and Rue (disdain). The raven, Remi, is under the care of the Vermont Natural History Museum and lives with my friend Stacy Salpietro-Babb. With a damaged wing, Remi cannot fly but she retains her fierce intelligence. She appears here in an act known as “anting,” where birds allow ants to crawl through their feathers to rid themselves of parasites—an ancient form of self-care and healing.

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Scattered through the foliage are subtle collage elements: newspaper clippings and images of real-world pain and conflict. These moments: news headlines, political theater, images of protest and displacement, anchor the message in today’s reality.