Then Came The Rains
Pen, oil pastel, acrylic paint, and original collage on paper 37 × 54.5 cm (image), 42 × 59.4 cm (paper), 2025
It wasn't until after I finished this piece that I understood what it was really about. Darker and moodier than my other works, with the sun tucked away inside a flower rather than in the sky, it seemed to capture one of those moments when you feel grounded and strong — like the tree at the centre — and then, without warning, emotion rises like a tidal wave, and tears fall before you even know they're there.
Sometimes it happens in the most ordinary places — while driving, on a walk, or in the company of friends at dinner — when life feels light yet something deeper stirs and reveals itself. I think 'Then Came the Rains' is about that moment we allow ourselves to feel everything we've been holding, and in doing so, find relief in letting ourselves be.
© Sam Jackson 2026. All rights reserved.
