Red Thread and Grief

The Red Thread philosophy as a message of healing during grief truly came to me when I lost Scarlet in 2023. But even before her death left me devastated, I had been making cards for friends and family suffering from the death of their animal family members.

I wasn't satisfied with any cards or messages I found in shops or online. None of them seemed to capture the significance our pets deserve, nor the depth of sorrow from their passing.

Which is odd, really, when you think of how well movies, books, and other art forms have done just that.

In the 3 years that I've been drawing and painting about the red threads, I've grown a lot as an artist. But it was never about the perfect painting or illustration. Most of all, the art is a vessel for me to express both love and loss. The red thread is what I visualize wrapped around my heart whenever grief hits me hard, as I know it always will for the rest of my life.

With the greatest empathy and understanding, I share my threads with all of you—even the "imperfect" paintings.