In February of 2025, Elise got the opportunity to spend five weeks in Tetouan, Morocco doing an art residency. She knew she wanted to be influenced by the deep red you find in these pieces, but that was about the extent of what she knew. On the way from the Tangier airport into the city she was located in, she saw olive trees scattered on the hillsides like small puffs of glistening bushes. She had been pondering the idea of suffering alongside people and also had read on her flight over about Christ’s humanity when he was in despair over his future of going to the cross. He went to the Mount of Olives to cry aloud to His Father. What would it look like to become a metaphorical garden for people who are suffering and need a place to cry aloud? In Morocco, she decided to spend time in the hillside amongst olive trees. It was a quiet, serene experience as she thought about Christ suffering in the garden with His Father. She wanted to create pieces that reflect a warm, raw place that can bring comfort and so here are the pieces she came to. It is a collection that isn’t finished, but has brought healing to her in many ways and she hopes it can do the same for you if you get to see the pieces in person or just through this screen.