This painting started in 2022, long before I knew what it would become. There are multiple paintings underneath the final one, along with words, intentions, and even strands of Lukas’s hair.

When I was preparing for my first studio gallery show, I thought I had finally finished it and covered it in resin. I left it to cure overnight while I went to teach two hot yoga classes. While I was gone, the drop cloth blew onto the wet resin and dried into the painting.

I tried to save it by sanding the resin off and ended up sanding so far through that I tore the canvas. I patched it from behind with another piece of canvas, repaired the surface, and resined it again. Then the heat caused that layer of resin to cure sticky.

Nearly a year later, I went back to it again. I stripped and repaired what I could, poured another layer of resin, and this time it finally cured.

I cut the finished work into two panels, built and stained the floating frames myself, and finished them right before the show. I remember showing up with black paint still on my hands.

At some point, Stay grounded & don’t give up stopped feeling like a title I had given the painting. It was just what happened.