Glenn Gould Painting

Hi, I’m Kristen Waligora, and I love to paint! I wear many hats as an artist, musician, and court reporter where I live and work in the resplendent Pacific Northwest in the “City of Roses.” Like many of you during Covid times, my views on life shifted drastically. My mom passed from terminal cancer in May 2020 right after Covid hit, and I had a lot of time to process and mourn. I had always wanted to try oil painting but there was always an excuse not to begin. Close to the one year anniversary of Mom’s death, I was overcome by the desire to “see” her again. The only way to do that seemed to be to paint her (which I’m working on right now!) I bought some supplies and tried my hand at painting and I was like a duck to water. What inspires me is the desire to connect and explore what it means to be human. I find it fascinating to see if I can capture something true. Can I make this look like the person? Am I capturing an element of their essence through this painting? It’s a form of meditation and an act of love. I find that through intense observation and connecting with my intuition, it can sometimes be a very pure and spiritual experience in some ways. I’m excited to explore this wondrous journey of life and what it means to be human.