Shortly after I started painting again, my then 25 year old daughter told me she was addicted to opioids and asked for help. We sent her to a rehabilitation center. After a few setbacks, she finally got clean. As of January 2022 she has been sober for five years. In her second year of recovery, she completed her master’s degree to become a licensed therapist. She now treats other young people with substance abuse and trauma problems. I painted her portrait (first image below) in her first year of recovery.

The paintings on this page are of those who have been affected directly and indirectly by substance abuse. Some are in recovery, some have died from an overdose or from natural causes after recovery, and some are still struggling.