I’m Aileen Fitzgerald, and am an artist living in Austin, TX. I rediscovered painting during the covid pandemic while working as a critical care nurse. It was a time of intense struggle—at work, we were in a constant state of emergency, and at home, I was facing my own personal battles. My first painting during this time felt like a spark in the dark, a light that illuminated the parts of me I’d hidden away for years. It was then that I realized how far I had drifted from myself... and how much I was starving to reconnect. I painted as if I were digging myself out of a grave. Painting gave me the opportunity to sit openly with my anger, sadness, and hope. A few months later, I quit my nursing job, ended my challenging relationship, and moved my daughter and I into a small but welcoming home. I had four weeks to make rent, and I knew I could do it through my art.

Every day since has been an opportunity to demo the walls I’ve built, pick up the rubble, tend to the soil, and regenerate the land. It’s been astonishing to see what abundance grows when there’s room for it. My paintings reflect the landscapes I’m newly discovering, and those buried that I’m uncovering. My intent is to continue exploring the human experience, and telling these stories through the lens of nature.