Santiago

This painting is deeply personal to me.

It was inspired by Santiago from The Old Man and the Sea, a book my grandmother, Joan Sutton, gave me when I was young. It became my favorite—not just for the story, but for what it taught me about strength.

Through Santiago, and through her, I learned what resilience really looks like. Not perfection, not winning every battle—but continuing forward, even when you’re tired, even when you’ve lost something along the way.

Over the past year, as I’ve faced my own health battles, I’ve leaned on that lesson more than ever. There were moments I felt worn down, uncertain, even broken—but never defeated.

“A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”

This piece is for that kind of strength—the kind that lives quietly inside us and refuses tto give up.