Painted in acrylics and oil, I Waited for You to Come Back for me, is a portrait of myself as a child. I was digging through old photos looking for something else when I found one of me at around five years old. It was one of those 10” x 8” professional photos with the suede-effects painted backdrop in a dark grey with an oval cut-out mount. I put it aside as I continued my initial search, but that childhood picture of me stayed in mind.

The next time I went into my studio, I reclaimed a painting I didn’t like and painted over it in a warm orange background, laying a new foundation for a reimagining of that young girl with all that I now know.

In all the decisions and obligations we commit to in life, it’s not unexpected that we may find ourselves so far away from our true interests that we don’t know who are anymore. I remember at 46 years old having no idea of what things brought me even the most ordinary kind of joy.

Over the past 12 months, in particular, I’ve been on an intensive journey of self-discovery under the guise of career planning. From all that work, I’ve been able to look back with a growing sense of satisfaction. I like who I am and who I am still growing into. Doing this painting brought me joy. I do catch myself smiling when I look at it. Maybe I’m just reflecting her expression back, but I think it’s more than that. It’s an optimism. I am back and we are moving into our next act together.

This artwork has been submitted to the 2026 Lester Prize for portraiture.