The majestic mountains grounded my soul during my Army deployment to Tarin Kot, Afghanistan. They inspired this reduction linocut print.

Picasso called the reduction linocut “the suicide print” because the artist irreversibly carves away the block as they print systematically, colour by colour, until the block is gone. Given my husband’s suicide after his Afghan service, it seemed a poetic technique choice to develop this artwork.

Since becoming a widow, the strength of the Afghan people have been a source of inspiration and hope to me. The title of this work recalls an Afghan proverb about overcoming even the greatest of challenges: “There is a road to the top of even the highest mountain”. The reduction linocuts were derived from a component of three collages I made in the wake of the tragic fall of Kabul to the Taliban and the anniversary of my husband's death.

The mountain motif also links to David Brook's book 'The Second Mountain.' Brook writes that the summit of life's first mountain is often seen as achievements that later seem superficial and empty. Brook says that truly joyful people are those who, often impelled by a shock or significant loss, find their second mountain – a summit that sees them realign their values and find a more substantial cause. Returning to art after my husband’s suicide has been my second mountain.

This series can be seen in the collections of

Governor of Victoria,

Shrine of Remembrance Victoria,

Australian National Veterans Art Museum,

Viden Canberra, and

Numerous private collections.

Learn more about this work via the Shrine's podcast