It Rained the Day We Said Goodbye

This piece was accepted into and sold at the 2023 Nebraska Biennial at Gallery 1516 in Omaha, Nebraska, which ran from September 8 – December 17, 2023.

The idea for this painting came to me at my uncle's funeral. I had parked my car in the cemetery where we were getting out to go to the graveside service, and it was lightly raining outside. The blue-green tent was above the burial site and people were gathered around; some under the tent and others huddling under their umbrellas next to it. The gentle rain making its pitter-patter sounds on all the surfaces.

Normally, a cool, dreary, rainy day would add to the sadness of the occasion. That day was different, though. My uncle was one of those guys who always had something funny to say, some levity to add to the discourse, and a fart joke ready to go. He had suffered a severe stroke several years before which left him with diminished ability to see, speak, and move, but he was still with it and certainly retained his sense of humor. Despite his physical challenges and limitations, his spirit was still completely him.

So when I got out of the car and started walking toward the tent and the rest of the family, this image just appeared to me. In it we see the tent and the umbrellas, and under the tent, shining brightest is my uncle. His light and spirit shines out upon the rest of us, as that's what he brought to the world.

That vision and the feeling I got brought me an overwhelming sense of calm and relief. He was no longer dealing with the challenges or hardships of this Earthly living. His spirit was free and with us, as he'd shared it during his life and now we get to take that energy with us wherever we're at as we move forward.

I was sad. I felt love for him and his love for us. That made me grateful for all the times we'd shared, the laughs we'd had. All the things he blew up with fireworks. And every last fart joke and nickname he honored us with.