Three seconds.

That’s all they said it took for a tornado to turn our world upside down. On April 15, 2011, the storm viciously took not only our home and way of life, but more importantly the lives of a mother and her two young sons who lived next door.

It’s been nearly a year since then. Debris is cleared, some homes are built, and a new normal is forming. Despite the time, many families have a long way to go.

And now, here we are again almost a year later. Another string of tornadoes has torn apart homes and families across the midwest and south.

In my opinion, too many disaster movies have desensitized people to comprehend the destruction of these places. This isn’t a film set, but homes, neighborhoods, and a way of life. It’s impossible to comprehend the loss without experiencing it. Although most people will forever remained untouched by these violent outbreaks from the sky, there is something you can do to help.

This print is a reminder that home is more than a structure - it is the people inside it. By my driveway lays a pile of rubble. The charred, broken remainders is the debris from my house. I took the pieces - bricks, shingles, tile, wood, etc.- and created something that would remind me of the real lesson learned. 

This print is made completely by hand. 7 colors. 9”x12”. Part of the proceeds go to the Habitat for Humanity in the tornado-stricken regions of the midwest and south that have been hard-hit last year and this spring.

To purchase print and help these communities, please visit here. 

See more work at www.IdeasofJennyLee.com.