For Sister Peter Julian Werner

Peter passed away from us on January 15 this year. A very long time ago she was a student in my year long class. Her initial quiet kindness concealed a keen mind, energy, and creativity that reveal themselves in her presence and artwork, not soon to be forgotten. In 1993, the year that Peter took my year long course “26 Seeds: a Year to Grow“, my father, Labe Ezell, died. I was born in Tennessee. When I was three years old we moved to Chicago; and there I remained when my family moved back when I was 22. I staying up the whole night before my father's funeral writing this tribute to him, which I read at his wake*.

The next month Peter created this beautiful work. It helped make real to me that others cared and shared our love and pain. And may even create beauty from out of it. Like many generations of “gardeners” we keep tending and hoping. Thank you, Peter, for reminding us that our creating matters.

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