The Burdens is an original painting by artist Alex Bodishbaugh King.
36x48 inches, oil on gallery wrapped canvas.
Late summer 2024, I checked out a stack of vintage coffee table books from the public library, searching for original inspiration. One of them was a 1965 Vogue Homes and Gardens book that still had the old card catalog ticket tucked inside the front cover. I became fascinated by an article about a young couple called The Burdens.
Their home was bold and striking—drenched in primary colors (my favorite palette), with red curtains that felt like they were begging to be painted. But more than the interiors, it was the story of the Burdens that hooked me: their pedigree, their art collection… and the fact that they had this life in their early twenties.
I started painting a scene inspired by their drawing room. It was the first time I’d ever painted art within my art, which felt like a fun challenge. After a few weeks, though, my initial excitement faded. There was something I couldn’t get quite right.
I hit pause, telling myself I’d come back to it. A few months passed. I found out I was pregnant. We moved houses. I moved studios. I kept shuffling the painting along with me, but couldn’t bring myself to restart it. The bright red curtain and yellow chair sat tucked in the corner of my studio while the story of the Burdens drifted in and out of my mind.
A few weeks ago, my best friend urged our group chat to read a new bestselling memoir, Strangers. I was hesitant, but gave in after hearing Belle Burden speak on one of my favorite podcasts (thank you Erin and Sara Foster).
I don’t know why the last name didn’t immediately register—but as I started the audiobook, it clicked.
The Burdens from my painting were Belle’s parents.
I couldn’t imagine a clearer sign that I needed to finish this piece.
I devoured all seven hours of Strangers while I painted, finally fixing the things that had bothered me 18 months earlier. Never did I expect to know more about The Burdens than what was written in that 1965 Vogue article—yet there I was, learning intimate details about the rest of their lives through their daughter’s story as I painted…
I’m clearly not alone in being deeply impacted by Belle’s book. I’d heard women say it would make you rethink your relationships—but for me, it made me rethink my relationship with myself: my capacity for empathy, judgment, and what my purpose is as a wife, mother, and friend.
If you haven’t read Strangers, I highly recommend it. The honesty and specificity of her story are what make it feel so universal.
Sharing this because life can feel wildly circular and kismet at times.
And thank you, Belle Burden, for making so many women feel seen.
The Burdens is an original painting by artist Alex Bodishbaugh King.
36x48 inches, oil on gallery wrapped canvas.
Late summer 2024, I checked out a stack of vintage coffee table books from the public library, searching for original inspiration. One of them was a 1965 Vogue Homes and Gardens book that still had the old card catalog ticket tucked inside the front cover. I became fascinated by an article about a young couple called The Burdens.
Their home was bold and striking—drenched in primary colors (my favorite palette), with red curtains that felt like they were begging to be painted. But more than the interiors, it was the story of the Burdens that hooked me: their pedigree, their art collection… and the fact that they had this life in their early twenties.
I started painting a scene inspired by their drawing room. It was the first time I’d ever painted art within my art, which felt like a fun challenge. After a few weeks, though, my initial excitement faded. There was something I couldn’t get quite right.
I hit pause, telling myself I’d come back to it. A few months passed. I found out I was pregnant. We moved houses. I moved studios. I kept shuffling the painting along with me, but couldn’t bring myself to restart it. The bright red curtain and yellow chair sat tucked in the corner of my studio while the story of the Burdens drifted in and out of my mind.
A few weeks ago, my best friend urged our group chat to read a new bestselling memoir, Strangers. I was hesitant, but gave in after hearing Belle Burden speak on one of my favorite podcasts (thank you Erin and Sara Foster).
I don’t know why the last name didn’t immediately register—but as I started the audiobook, it clicked.
The Burdens from my painting were Belle’s parents.
I couldn’t imagine a clearer sign that I needed to finish this piece.
I devoured all seven hours of Strangers while I painted, finally fixing the things that had bothered me 18 months earlier. Never did I expect to know more about The Burdens than what was written in that 1965 Vogue article—yet there I was, learning intimate details about the rest of their lives through their daughter’s story as I painted…
I’m clearly not alone in being deeply impacted by Belle’s book. I’d heard women say it would make you rethink your relationships—but for me, it made me rethink my relationship with myself: my capacity for empathy, judgment, and what my purpose is as a wife, mother, and friend.
If you haven’t read Strangers, I highly recommend it. The honesty and specificity of her story are what make it feel so universal.
Sharing this because life can feel wildly circular and kismet at times.
And thank you, Belle Burden, for making so many women feel seen.