Shannon

During 2017 we went through a difficult period of significant (but necessary) changes which had an impact on our confidence regarding our own decision making. It was also a solitary period in which we spent a lot of time alone.

It has never been difficult for our thoughts to go to dark places if we're not actively working against it, but during this time it was especially easy to become trapped in this bad pattern.

One of the things which kept us sane and going during this time was a cheap guitar we bought and in which we used to play our favourite songs to the best of our ability. One line in one of these songs became a mantra to us. Mantra is defined as a "sacred utterance" and this line really became sacred to us. We repeat it to ourselves to this day when things are difficult. It says:

"When life is hard, you have to change"

The song the line comes from (Change by Blind Melon) was enough for us to feel like someone else had been were we were and to stop doubting the changes we'd make in our lives, even though at the time we felt like we'd really messed up everything. The song gave us hope to believe that if we persevered all these changes would be worth it, even though we felt other people would say "look at them, we'll never live that way", and maybe we didn't feel ok, but we felt a bit better, because we knew we hadn't been afraid to change.

We've read that Change was the first song Shannon Hoon ever wrote. We wanted to make a painting of him as a tribute to him and his bandmates who made such beautiful music. Music which years later would help us and that we believe must have helped so many others in difficult situations since they made it. We like to imagine Mr. Hoon in a sunny field of Daisies still giving us words of wisdom from beyond.

We painted this during May 2024.