Elizabeth Abrams

Washed in the Mater | Painting, 2023

I painted this after a meaningful conversation with a friend. Amidst one of life’s more difficult seasons, she tried to communicate feelings of disconnection and fuzziness, as if being wrapped in a sort of fibrinous, web-like material – like the arachnoid mater of the spinal column we dissected in anatomy lab. But then, she said, she also felt a few distinct, flowing, warm rivers, cascading along the spine, bringing calm and consistency. As a listener, I imagined what this metaphor could look like with paint.

Language helps us make meaning of experiences, and being attentive to it helps bring clarity and connection to my life. I am grateful for words, and for the imagery and art that fill in when words aren’t enough.

Elizabeth is a student at the College of Medicine.