The things we keep tell a story. From the books on our shelves to pictures on the wall and tucked away prize medals from sporting events. Each item caries a personal memory; as a collection, they tell a bigger story about ourselves.

I had an uncle who’s story was so inspiring that I made a painting about it. The idea for this painting came about when we, after his passing, fully cleared out his home. After the auction house had driven back and forth 4 times to collect various items, all the brothers and cousins were allowed to look through leftover things. And still, on cleanup day, there was enough left to completely fill a large shipping container. It barely fit. There was a lot of laughter that day and more than once I heard someone in awe of the amount and type of stuff he had.

And so I envisioned a nest with a tower of items in it, and on top a proud, beautiful little bird.