I first lifted this canvas onto the easel with the intention of doing an abstract painting. In the process of laying down the paint, as the shapes formed, the intent changed.

The Gaza war had begun. I was pre-occupied with the secondary trauma experienced by those around me. As the nightly horrors of the war in Gaza flashed across the screen, friends and family turned off their televisions. I felt the distress of a friend obsessed with the war, taking sides, not able to let go of a view point.

The feelings permeated my unconscious, coming through in the marks on the canvas.

Then the process became a conscious one as I searched through countless press photos of the war.  From these, a chaotic melange formed on the canvas. Slowly and painfully the painting morphed into a figurative work.

I have struggled with this work over a long time. The painting developed haphazardly, unplanned, precariously balanced or unbalanced, uncertain of its outcome. This is definitely not the recommended process for a guaranteed result!

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Let others be the judge of the still-to-be-completed painting. More important for me is the richness of the process. Choosing press photos as my source seemed like an obvious way make a point; bombardment in the media with associated traumatic reactions of over identifying or disengaging.

 Curiously the act of witnessing the war through images calmed my distress. There was no commentary, no point of view, no idealogical viewpoint, no speculation, no moral outrage. 

A clarity emerged that bloomed in the silent space; human suffering and destruction. Stripping away the layers that attach to the fundamental reality of suffering and destruction allowed more space for compassion. Yes, there is still distress, but It becomes easier to hold when you feel compassion.

While my painting will soon be finished, the Gaza conflict shows no sign of reaching a compassionate, long-standing solution.