Illicit Keepsakes

A crumpled note, weathered door and key, broken strand of pearls, childhood teddy bear, empty nest, melted candle and burnt matches, and an empty bed become evidence of people and moments no longer present. Painted across eight fragments of historic stoneware, Illicit Keepsakes considers the things we hold onto while waiting—for someone to return, for children who have flown the nest, for words exchanged to still matter, or simply for memory to keep what time cannot.

Year: 2026
Medium: Oil on eight historic pottery fragments
Pottery: Albany-slipped stoneware, primarily c. 1880–1920
Locality: Eastern Shore, Mobile Bay, Ala.
Framed dimensions: 19.5 x 25.5 in. in.
Original artwork: One of a kind