“Babywork” was a bit of internal family jargon we made up during Josie’s early years. It refers to the serious business of play, creation, and imagination during childhood. “Don’t interrupt, she’s doing her babywork,” is a phrase you might often hear. Over time, it became shorthand for everything related to creative focus and flow. That’s why the name fit perfectly with this exhibit.

Each piece is developed slowly through a process of layered and co-creative efforts between mother and daughter. Josie builds the luminous backgrounds and then hands the canvases to me to sketch out our ideas. Should there be 1 or 2 bunnies in this balloon? Maybe we could tie a bunch of balloons to the bunnies like they’re parachuting in? We then work together to bring the ideas to life. The show celebrates creative whimsy as both a developmental process and a source of joy and connection. The paintings offer a unique window into the magic of childhood and the experience of creating new worlds to inhabit together.

On view daily at Children's National Hospital

Saturday, August 1, 2026 2:00 – 4:30 pm 

Free & open to the public