This collage is part of my ongoing exploration of girls as symbols of memory, resilience, and inner life. I built it slowly, layer by layer, using tissue, fabric, old book pages, watercolor, and bits of journaling. The girl here feels like someone I’ve known a long time—maybe a younger version of myself, or maybe someone watching quietly from the edge of the page.

The birdcage is a recurring image in my work. It speaks to the tension between freedom and protection, between holding on and letting go. I don’t always know what a piece means when I start. I just follow texture, color, and feeling. I let the materials guide me.

This piece, like all my work, is part of a daily practice—a way of staying connected to what’s true, what’s tender, what’s asking to be seen.