In October 2024, my friend Christy called with a last-minute idea — the best kind:
“Wanna drive to Greeley and see Ashley McBryde tonight? Bring Shannon. Three makes a party.”
Christy and I met in college at UNC in Greeley, so the night felt like a full-circle moment. We even stopped for a plate of Roma spaghetti — just like we did back then.
Ashley’s Light On in the Kitchen is one of my favorite songs — a tribute to the kind of friend who’s always there when life goes sideways.
Not long after the concert, life did go sideways. I started this piece feeling hollowed out — stitching hearts like bullet holes across the fabric. But as I worked, it shifted. I couldn’t leave the pain without also honoring the gift of friendship that held me together.
It’s my first piece using negative space — each heart a cutout revealing chiles on the lining, and tiny memory treasures tucked inside.
At the heart of it: two friends, talking in the kitchen. With the light on.