There was a time the only door I could open was to the dreamscape of my imagination. My bed, a small, thin vinyl covered slab of synthetic material became not only sanctuary, but my starship through which to escape afar, beyond the concrete and steel that constantly encroached every visible angle. This mural gives tribute to this gracious reprieve by utilizing linen bed sheets as my canvas.
My bed was a magical place where avenues to elsewhere were offered through books, or imagination—I could be transported away. Deep reflections, heart aches, floods of memories, so much living and thinking took place on that small mattress, so of course I would come to consider it a character of its own, a companion in adventures.
I wish this mural to reflect the idea of a bed as a means to escape by painting this literally happening. I am whisked away by my ally that simply creates a direct route by bursting through the cement walls on a flight out and above confinement and into the realm of stars, cosmos, liberty and possibility.
This mural was commissioned for the exhibition The Only Door I Can Open: Women Exposing Prison through Art, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 2025.
It was painted in a series of late night sessions over the course of 30 days. Night was the only time available to create during the busy holiday season and continuous stream of events at the non-profit “Freedom To Grow” where I was working as the garden steward and herbalist.
