Some people do yoga, some people meditate, some pray. I paint parallel lines.

This project grew from anxiety response; some years ago I noticed that the practice of drawing sets of lines—intensely close but never touching—was a way I could stay balanced while having intense emotional swings. Beginning with notepads, napkins, or bar tabs, I’d just sit and listen to the world around me and draw one after the next.

It wasn’t long before I experimented in more focused methods: Entire sketchbooks filled with these patterns, contained within shapes or consuming entire pages. It was then the project grew onto larger pages, using a small paintbrush and black gesso to raise the stakes. With each different method, the rule remained the same: keep the lines as close as possible, but never let them touch.

Though I have medication now to help control my extreme highs and lows, the need for this practice remains and I look forward to working on myself through whatever is still to come.