a journey_roses, RA Featherston, pop-up book, death and dying

When my mother cried out, "You’re a car thief!" I was mortified.
I felt this accusation tear at my heart. She was right. I was guilty.
I was going to steal her car. Knowing that my sole motivation
for taking it was to prevent her from driving, which had become
a dangerous activity, did not seem to allay my guilt. I was caught
in an uncomfortable place between reason and emotion, between
being the obedient daughter and the independent adult.
I was meddling into another’s life, and to complicate matters,
it was my oh-so-independent mother’s.

A Journey Of Roses’ is derived from my personal journal of experiences with my mother during the last four months of her life.
As a visual artist, I share this journey through a unique perspective,
a pop-up book for adults. Twenty-eight powerful images and text
create 3-D image vignettes, both strong and beautiful, drawing the
reader into a personal, yet universal story. This marriage of image
and word tempers the subjects of aging, elder care, family dynamics,
and personal growth.