ART Nesting Shapes Illustrated Book

My daughter and I are creating an illustrated book in honour of my late husband Hunia, who we recently lost to suicide. The book is based on a letter we found soon after, where Hunia thanks me for my support throughout his ongoing depression. Our goal is to create a small but beautiful batch of these illustrated books, reflecting our Hunia's incredible artistic ability. Some of the proceeds from the resulting books will be donated to Life Matters Suicide Prevention.   

The characters in the book will be based on My ART Nesting Shapes. 

What started as a hobby to entice myself back into the process of painting suddenly has become an ongoing passion, us creative types love to obsess about all things creative. These ART Nesting shapes/Russian Dolls/domestic ornaments/objects to be displayed, can be arranged and looked at by all. These arrangements have allowed me the freedom to explore, appropriate and then re-translate imagery that hovers somewhere between an objective rendering of an image and yet a personal statement at the same time. The resting place/viewing space of these artistic shapes is dependent on it's owner - where they choose to put them in their own spaces.

Be it domestic, living, private, working spaces, they can sit anywhere and can reflect the owner's perception and relationship with Art. That is what I find satisfying! For myself as the artist they are small, intimate, precious and I hope they become the same for those I paint them for.

Here's Hunia's letter:

I MISSED YOU TODAY.

SO I WROTE YOU SOME THOUGHTS.

WE'VE BEEN THROUGH TOUGH TIMES,

BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I THINK ABOUT RIGHT NOW.

I THINK ABOUT YOU AND ALL THE THINGS YOU HAVE TAUGHT ME AND BROUGHT ME.

YOU TAUGHT ME THAT LOVE DOESN'T HAVE TO COME WITH A PRICE.

YOU SHOW ME DAILY THAT LIFE SHOULD BE CAPTURED AND NOT FEARED,

THAT A CHILD'S LIFE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN CHILDHOOD TRAUMAS.

ALWAYS YOU GENTLY REMIND ME OF THE LIFE AND THE MAN I CAN BE, BEYOND MY MISCONCEPTIONS.

FUN IS A NECESSITY AND NOT A CHOICE TO BE NEGLECTED,

A SENSE OF HUMOUR COVERS A MULTITUDE OF THINGS.

LIFE OR OURSELVES SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN TOO SERIOUSLY.

ALWAYS THERE IS A SENSE OF HOPE AND FUTURE IN YOUR EYES.

EVEN IN THE STORMS YOU ALWAYS SHOW YOUR INNER STRENGTH AND POISE. 

THROUGH ALL OF THIS, YOUR BEAUTY IS REAL AND SINCERE. 

THE EPITOME OF INNOCENCE AND BALANCE.

PERFECT GRACE AND PERFECT BALANCE.    ALWAYS THIS IS YOU.

YOU ALWAYS REMIND ME THAT LIFE IS WORTH ENJOYING AND NOT JUST TO BE TOLERATED. EVERYONE DESERVES HIS OR HER CHANCE AND YOU REASSURE EVERYONE OF THIS THROUGH THE LIGHT THAT SHINES THROUGH YOU EVERYDAY.

I LOVE YOU.

AND THOUGH I MAY NOT SAY IT MUCH,

THERE ARE COUNTLESS THINGS I AM GRATEFUL FOR IN YOU.

THANK YOU.  

By Hunia Dean

It is a very personal journey, but one we would like to share with you all, and is a beautiful insight into the appreciation and thanks shown by a person struggling with mental health to those who support them. 

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