Grateful for the Homes that Hold My Art
Art as a Gentle Companion in Healing
Me and my new kitten, Bruce Springsteen Ulbrich, aka The Boss (December 2025)
As many of you may know, I have had the most difficult year of my life, first losing the love of my life, Jeff, to complications from colon cancer just over a year ago, and then losing our beautiful little old man cat Maestro ten months later. I’m not sure if you can imagine losing your whole family in a year, but let me tell you, it sucks.
And though it has been so healing to create art, it has been even more comforting to share my art and my story with others and hear their own stories of love and loss.
As I continue to work through it all, I think back to all of the extraordinary kind souls I met through my work this past year. Strangers that shared their own experiences with me, collectors who connected with my art on the deepest levels, all showing kindness in the most unexpected, breathtaking ways.
I know I will never be the same person that I was before losing Jeff. I think that I will be a different version of me, one that carries grief (because it is impossible to not think about him every single moment), but hopefully also learns how to carry love and happiness again.
In the beginning I had lost my faith in humanity, after seeing how Jeff was treated, how uncared for he was in the hospital, how his death could have been prevented, I didn’t want to be part if this world anymore.
Now, just over a year later, some of that faith has been restored through the kindness shown to me by others. I have been reminded over and over again that there are very good people in this world who are caring and empathetic. It is through your compassion, your quiet bond to my work, your kindness, that I am able to continue to do what I love for a living, and heal with you.
As this year comes to a close, I want to thank you, from the depths of my heart, for being here with me. Your presence, support, and belief in my work have meant more to me than you could know.
With much love and gratitude,
Daniela
In dedication to Jeffrey Paul Ulbrich, his bandmates of Death Pose created a beautiful song in remembrance of him entitled “Unresolved”. Music moves the soul as does art; it is my honor to share it with you: https://youtu.be/I2xV0vt72_s?si=1ruTVZJCKy46oH_j
To view my latest work, please click HERE.
If you are struggling with your own grief or loss, please know that there is a large community of people out there that are going through something similar. Even though it may feel like it, you are not alone.