Letters with Hospice began after I lost my maternal grandmother in 2014. She moved in and out of hospice facilities before she was finally brought home for the remainder of her hospice care. The facilities were alienating, she struggled with her lengthy stays.
When she returned to her home, I would visit and go through family photographs. When her hands became difficult for her to use, I asked her to instruct me how to draw an image referencing a photograph my mom and brother. My grandmother was an ardent drawer and illustrator. She previously worked at Rockewell International as a layout artist. She designed manuals and newsletters for the aviation company.After my grandmother died, I began volunteering for hospice. I asked artists to write to the patients I’d visit. Mirroring my mother’s long-standing career as a postal worker, I acted as a mail-courier, delivering letters back and forth.
