I heard Alana Levandoski’s song ‘Behold I Make All Things New’ for the first time when she sang it at an informal gathering of Living School students at our symposium in September 2014. This holy tune found its way into my heart and I carried it home to sing to my mom Rosemary when I cared for her until she passed away from Lewy Body Dementia Feb. 28, 2015. When I saw that mom was both enlivened and comforted by the words and the tune, I was struck by the healing potential of Alana’s gifts. I shared this with Alana and it sparked a conversation via email that led to her inviting me to paint in collaboration with her album project. Painting has always been a dialogue with the divine for me. My inspiration, up until this project, came from nature, scripture and the lives of mystics we studied in the Living School. This collaboration added a new dimension: Alana’s vision for her new album and her moving words and voice. All of the paintings in this collection were created during my participation in the Living School; many were created between March 1 and June 27, 2015.
